The Aquaculturists: April 2019

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Phileo - Lesaffre company profile

Nothing is more precious than life, and that’s the philosophy that drives Phileo.

As global population continues to increase, the world faces a growing demand for food and greater sustainability challenges.

According to the team at Phileo Lesaffre "Working at the crossroads of nutrition and health, we are committed to delivering future evidence-based solutions that enhance animal health and performance. In each and every country, our team’s progress is led by the most advanced scientific outcomes as well as the field input of experienced farmers".

Visit the website HERE.

The Aquaculturists
This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the
magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd

For additional daily news from aquaculture around the world: aquaculture-news

Leiber’s innovative products awarded in Poland

Leiber GmbH and its Polish daughter company - Leiber Sp. z.o.o. based in Krosniewice had a successful visit to the FERMA trade fair this year. The animal feed department with its brewers' yeast range was, once again, represented at the fair in Lodz.

FERMA is regarded as the international trade fair and platform for producers and breeders of livestock, pork and poultry in Poland. A commission consisting of members of the Polish Chamber of Agriculture, scientists and a representative of the fair organisation, awarded medals to two of Leiber brewers' yeast products.

Dr Andrzej Sobieraj (second on the right) accepting the prize in Lodz
together with the members of the commission
Image credit: Leiber GmbH

The new product Leiber YeaFi® AB, a mixed product consisting of brewers' yeast compounded with apple pomace and beet pulp, was awarded a prize as an "innovation" on account of its high content of active fibres for the support of the digestion by the animals. During the development of the product, special attention was given by Leiber to the grain-free composition, as the animal feed industry and animal owners have increasingly demanded this in recent years.

The second product that was awarded the "gold medal" was Biolex® MB40, a specialist brewers' yeast product from the Leiber animal feed range. It consists of the cell walls of genuine brewers' yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae), which are obtained during the production of soluble brewers' yeast extracts. Its high levels of beta-glucans and mannan-oligosaccharides, for example, actively support and relieve the immune system, and bind and inactivate pathogens and toxins in the gut.

Both Andrzej Sobieraj on behalf of the Polish subsidiary and the director of the business unit for animal nutrition, Nikolaus Jungbluth are delighted with the awards.

For more than 60 years, Leiber GmbH has been one of the leading manufacturers of special yeast products 'made in Germany'. With its two locations in Germany, as well as additional production facilities in Poland and Russia, Leiber's more than 230 dedicated employees produce brewers' yeast products and yeast extracts at the highest level of quality.

For more information visit the Leiber website, HERE.

Monday, April 29, 2019

Aquaculture Europe 2019 welcomes Women in Aquaculture event

A seminar looking at ways to ensure greater gender diversity at all levels of the aquaculture sector is scheduled to take place in Berlin on 9 October, as part of this year's Aquaculture Europe (AE2019) conference.

Jointly organised by the European Aquaculture Society (EAS) and The Fish Site, the Women in Aquaculture seminar will offer first hand insights into how women can overcome perceived gender related obstacles and build thriving careers right across the aquaculture sector.

'Many promising young researchers and many of the top aquaculture executives from Europe and beyond will be in Berlin for the annual EAS conference and this special session aims to help companies engage with proactive strategies for building diverse workplaces,' explains Alistair Lane, Executive Director of EAS.

The one-hour event will be co-chaired by Nofima's Synnøve Helland, who is a board member of EATIP and leader of the Gender Panel of EURASTIP, and Rob Fletcher, senior editor at The Fish Site – which has been responsible for a number of women in aquaculture initiatives over the course of the last year.

The event will include a panel discussion featuring prominent figures from academia and the aquaculture industry, who will discuss key issues related to the benefits of diversity in the workforce and ways to ensure that aquaculture organisations pursue recruitment policies that allow talented people, regardless of gender, to succeed.

'It is vital for the further success of the industry that it can compete successfully for the best talents. This session is a unique possibility for managers from industry and academia to learn what measures are working, so that others can learn how to recruit the competent women as well as men,' says Ms Synnøve.

The seminar will also include a Q&A and an insight into an innovative mentoring programme which has been established to help fast-track ambitious and talented women to the top of the sector.

More details of the event will be released in the coming months.

Visit the EAS website, HERE.

Andritz company profile

ANDRITZ is a globally leading supplier of plants, equipment, and services for hydropower stations, the pulp and paper industry, the metalworking and steel industries, and for solid/liquid separation in the municipal and industrial sectors.

The publicly listed technology Group is headquartered in Graz, Austria, and has a staff of almost 25,000 employees. ANDRITZ operates over 250 sites worldwide.

Visit the website HERE.

Sunday, April 28, 2019

Global Seafood Restaurant Red Lobster to partner with Ocean Conservancy in support of ocean protection

Red Lobster®, the world's largest seafood restaurant chain, has announced a partnership with Ocean Conservancy, a leading ocean conservation non-profit, to support the protection and preservation of the world's oceans.

The partnership will focus on two programs: The Global Ghost Gear Initiative, which focuses on driving solutions to the problem of lost and abandoned fishing gear, and the Trash Free Seas Alliance®, which unites leaders to mitigate plastic waste entering the oceans.

Image credit: Zdenko Zivkovic on Flickr
(CC BY 2.0)

This commitment to Ocean Conservancy further expands the company's Seafood with Standards commitments beyond sourcing traceable, sustainable and responsibly-sourced seafood to include efforts to support healthy oceans.

Red Lobster's efforts extend both to its suppliers and its guests to help raise awareness of the issues impacting the oceans and collaboration to find meaningful, science-based solutions.

'Our partnership with Ocean Conservancy, and our support for the Global Ghost Gear Initiative and Trash Free Seas Alliance, are important extensions of our unwavering commitment to Seafood with Standards. It's important that we continue to do the right thing for our oceans, for our business and for our guests so there is seafood to enjoy for generations,' said Kim Lopdrup, CEO, Red Lobster. 'We've been dedicated to seafood sustainability since opening our doors in 1968, and we plan to continue using our leadership position and resources to drive change.'

As one of the largest restaurant purchasers of seafood in the world, Red Lobster will strongly encourage its suppliers to support projects that reduce, remove and recycle the more than 640,000 tons of fishing gear (known as 'Ghost Gear') lost or abandoned in oceans each year.

In addition, Red Lobster, which was the first large casual dining restaurant company to make a commitment to eliminate plastic straws from its restaurants, will continue to evaluate the use of single use plastics and seek alternatives. Red Lobster will also help educate consumers about the impact single-use plastics can have on the oceans and marine life and encourage eco-friendly choices.

'We're excited to partner with Red Lobster to advance our mission to tackle the negative impacts of ghost gear and plastic pollution in our ocean today,' said Janis Searles Jones, CEO, Ocean Conservancy. 'A healthy ocean requires action from companies, individuals and governments, so we must use our collective impact to fight for conservation efforts and use smart science, effective policies and engaged partners to make a difference.'

For more information visit the Red Lobster website, HERE.

Van Aarsen company profile

Van Aarsen has become a household name worldwide for machinery and turnkey projects for animal feed technology, both for commercial feed producers and for vertically-integrated businesses.

Quality is of the utmost importance in both sectors of the industry and innovations in feed production are therefore of great interest.

Thanks to their extensive experience, engineers and technicians are always able to offer tailor-made solutions.

Visit the Van Aarsen website, HERE.

Thursday, April 25, 2019

Innovation of sustainably sourced global feed production, The FEED-X Challenge

WWF-founded enterprise Project X Global has opened the search for the next outstanding innovation to radically transform the global feed industry.

In partnership with Skretting, Climate-KIC, WWF and IKEA, FEED-X is now at a key stage of accelerating innovations across the feed sector, and is welcoming applications for sustainable feed innovations from entrepreneurs eager to commercialise their ideas.

The goal of the FEED-X programme is to ensure that the global feed industry can produce enough food to support the growing world population by shifting 10 percent of global feed production to sustainable sourcing from novel alternative solutions.

It aims to do so by 2025 – through sourcing, testing, financing and scaling alternative feed ingredients and technologies that affect feed. The programme will focus on salmon and shrimp; two aquaculture species with wholly different feed requirements and industry structures.

Project X has already hosted a category de-risking event where experts from Harvard University, Wageningen University Research, and Utrecht University among others presented their key findings.

Christoph Mathiesen, Sustainability Developer, IKEA of Sweden AB, shared his commitment to the programme, 'IKEA Food is committed to securing a more sustainable supply chain for our food business. We know that animal feed such as salmon feed can have negative impact on the climate, environment and biodiversity. We see the collaboration with Project X as a great opportunity to support sustainable food systems and accelerate the innovation in animal feed.'

FEED-X has lead partner support from one of the largest animal and aquaculture feed suppliers in the world – Nutreco, and its aquaculture division Skretting - which represent a significant share of the global feed market and €5.9 billion of purchasing power.

Strategic and financial support for the FEED-X programme has also come from IKEA (IKEA Supply AG), WWF and EIT Climate-KIC, and technical support from UNEPOne Planet, and Cambridge University.

The co-ordinated approach between organisations in the FEED-X programme will give entrepreneurs rare access to markets and allow them to commercialise their outstanding sustainable alternative feed solutions at scale.

The application is a two-stage process. Project X invites innovators to fill in the Expression of Interest form by the 10th of May, after which they will be provided with the application form. The applications will then be independently reviewed by an expert panel including high-profile individuals from a range of sectors.

Applications will be accepted no later than the 15th of May.

For more information on FEED-X click here and/or details on how your organisation can partner or support the project, contact:
Catherine Laurent-Polz, Portfolio Manager for ClimateKIC at Catherine.laurent-polz@climate-KIC.org, or
Anna Belorde, Senior Projects Manager for Project X Global at ab@projectxglobal.com.

Visit the FEED-X website, HERE.

Wynveen International company profile

Wynveen International B.V. is a leading Dutch company, specialising in the design, manufacture and installation of complete mills for the animal feed industry.

With a knowledgeable, experienced and enthusiastic team, the company focuses on the development and construction of high-quality innovative equipment and installations for animal feed, aqua feed and pet food manufacture.

In addition to turnkey projects, their core products are hammer mills, ribbon and paddle mixers, double-shaft paddle mixers, rotary sifters and coaters for liquids (vacuum and atmospheric).

Approximately 80 percent of their products are exported. In order to guarantee its high quality standards, Wynveen assembles and tests all its key equipment in-house.

Wynveen always aims to fully understand customer requirements, working in partnership with customers and using all their accumulated knowledge and experience to deliver the optimum, often highly innovative, technological solution.

That’s why their company motto is: ‘Versatility in feed processing’.

Visit the company website, HERE.

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

New survey finds that animal protein consumption to increase as part of a healthy and sustainable diet

Meat, fish and eggs can be an important part of a healthy and environmentally responsible diet, say consumers in new global research from Cargill.

And they plan to keep eating them too—along with plant-based dietary protein. More than two-thirds of respondents say they intend to maintain or increase their consumption of animal protein in the next year. Four-fifths of participants express interest in plant-based or alternative sources of protein.

'We're pleased consumers see animal protein as an important part of a healthy diet,' said Chuck Warta, president of Cargill's premix and nutrition business. 'Dietary guidance consistently emphasises the benefits of adequate protein intake from a variety of sources. Our aim is to help our livestock, poultry and aquaculture customers meet the growing global demand for protein in the most healthy, productive and sustainable way possible.'

In its latest Feed4Thought survey, Cargill found 93 percent of respondents across the US, Brazil, the Netherlands and Vietnam say they care about our ability to feed the world sustainably, with 84 percent saying that it impacts what they buy. Animal protein makes the cut, according to most consumers, with 80 percent of survey participants saying it can be part of an environmentally responsible regimen and 93 percent saying it can play an important role in a healthy diet.

'Access to poultry meat and eggs can rapidly improve people's diets and have a major impact on their lives,' said Pierre Ferrari, president and CEO of Heifer International. Cargill recently partnered with Heifer to launch Hatching Hope, an initiative aimed at improving the nutrition and livelihoods of 100 million people by 2030, by training and opening markets for subsistence poultry farmers and providing nutrition education for their communities.

'We're investing in smart, resourceful women farmers, working with them to improve their products, access new markets and build sustainable businesses that generate living incomes,' said Mr Ferrari.

Consumers expect companies like Cargill to step up. When asked who bears most responsibility for ensuring food production is sustainable, almost a third of participants selected food and feed manufacturers as their top choice. Governments came in second (25 percent) and then consumers via the foods we eat (20 percent).

Cargill takes this responsibility seriously, with new policies on South American sustainable soy, human rights and deforestation, and partnerships, like The Nature Conservancy-Nestle Purina-Cargill initiative to help US farmers conserve irrigation water.

For more information visit the Cargill website, HERE.

VIV Asia - The Aqua Feed Extrusion Conference

by Rebecca Sherratt, Production editor, International Aquafeed

On March 13th at VIV Asia, International Aquafeed magazine hosted the Aqua Feed Extrusion Conference, with Dr Mian Riaz, Head of the Extrusion Technology Programme at Texas A&M University.

The one-day conference encompassed all-things extrusion and featured seven expert speakers from Corporate Project Services, Amandus Kahl, DSM, Andritz, Clextral, Wenger Manufacturing and Texas A&M University.

Talk one - Introduction and principles of extrusion technology
by Mian Riaz, Texas A&M University

Once Mr Roger Gilbert of International Aquafeed completed introductions, Dr Riaz kicked off the conference with the first talk, which gave a very comprehensive and thorough overview of the intricacies of extrusion and how such technology works to process your raw materials.

Extrusion technology, he stated, first began being used in 1948, but since that time it has evolved drastically to become a somewhat more common and refined process. He stated the many benefits to extrusion, such as the low-cost of the process as well as its remarkable energy efficiency and high product quality.

The difference between single-screw and twin-screw extruders was also discussed (twin-screw extrusion, although more expensive, provides a higher-quality level of quality control and flexibility).

Read more HERE.

Dinnissen company profile

With over 150 permanent employees and an extensive network of agents all over the world, Dinnissen is a global player in the feed, food, pharma and chemical sectors.

They are always looking for new and innovative solutions for complete processes, system integrations or standard products – many of which they develop, test and produce in-house!

Visit the website HERE.

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

BioMar is creating feed solutions targeted towards consumers

BioMar has completed the testing of insect meal in feeds for aquaculture and believe it shows promise as an alternative protein source. This is one among many other novel ingredients like algae oil or single cell proteins that BioMar has been investigating.

BioMar believes these raw materials can address some of the needs of the market and are now eager to speed up their adoption through the creation of innovative feed solutions targeting the needs of seafood consumers.

BioMar has been investigating insect meal since 2015 in our Research and Development centres and from 2017 we have been undertaking tests with our customers who have been feeding their fish on diets containing insect meal.

Image credit: BioMar

These fish have already made their way to supermarkets in Europe among retailers eager to implement future-oriented food solutions that focus on natural foods. Michel Autin, Technical Director at BioMar's EMEA Division said, 'innovation of course comes at a cost, but farmers who are the first movers with insect meal will benefit from a strong market position. Insect meal has a future as an alternative protein source in aquaculture feeds if the price of this new raw material can be kept at reasonable limits. We have good test results on insect meal originating from black soldier flies, mealworms and others, which makes it a promising raw material.'
Read the full article on the International Aquafeed website, HERE.

For more information visit the BioMar website, HERE.

Bühler North America expands Pellet Mill service offerings through the acquisition of PR&D, Inc.

To expand and strengthen its service offerings to the US Feed, Petfood, Grain and Oilseed processing markets, Bühler North America has announced the acquisition of PR&D, Inc., a leading Pellet Mill and other equipment service company based in Perham, MN, USA.

PR&D, Inc., based in Perham, MN, is a leading provider of pellet mill parts and services, including die and roll assembly reconditioning, new dies and roll shells and other equipment parts and services in the North Central US and Central Canadian regions. The Perham location will become a new Service Centre site in the Bühler Customer Service network. All employees have joined the Bühler team and operations continue unchanged, utilising the 'pick-up, repair and deliver' model.

Future investments are planned to update equipment used to deliver services and the full Bühler supply chain will be leveraged to improve competitiveness both in terms of cost and efficiency. Customers will also benefit from Bühler's deep process expertise, as an OEM equipment manufacturer, to deliver improved operational insights, along with the services provided.

'This acquisition is all about honouring our promise and doing whatever it takes to help customers operate more effectively on a day-to-day basis, and, again, demonstrates Bühler's commitment to North American feed, petfood, grain and oilseed processing customers', says Brian Williams, Vice President, Marketing and Business Development for Bühler North America.

'From its conception, PR&D was built on customer service by supplying quality parts and fast, reliable service. By teaming up with Bühler, we will be able to update equipment, expand offerings to include deeper process expertise, allowing us to take our original mission to the next level,' states Jeff Steinke, President, PR&D, Inc.

Both Jeff Steinke and Greg Nelson, Vice President, PR&D, have become Bühler team members and continue to lead the Perham location.

For more information visit the Bühler Group website, HERE.

VIV Asia

by Rebecca Sherratt, Production editor, International Aquafeed

On March 13-15th in Bangkok, Thailand, the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) played host to VIV Asia, the 2019 rendition of the biannual exhibition and trade show that brings members of the food and feed industry in their masses from all over the world.

The exhibition was a glorious affair, with hall after hall brimming with companies that specialised in every aspect of the food and feed production industry for aquaculture, poultry, livestock, swine and more. Over 45,000 visitors were confirmed over the three-day span of the event, and dozens of conferences were also held for industry members to attend.

VIV reported a seven percent increase in visits from those outside of Bangkok this year, proving that the event is only becoming more and more international and gaining more of a reputation as one of the best-serving events for the sector. Overseas visitors came from over 120 countries, the top ten visiting markets being reported as China, India, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan and Pakistan.

Compared to the 2017 rendition of the event, a remarkable 1,245 exhibitors were confirmed (an 18% increase) and they covered an extra 30 percent of the floorspace at BITEC.

In my time exploring VIV Asia I discovered a variety of innovations for the aquaculture industry that will no doubt become integral for the future of fish production.

Read more HERE.

IDAH company profile

IDAH’s ultimate goal is to be world’s number one with customer satisfaction.

IDAH’s vision is to build on our solid traditional manufacturing roots and expand out to be a full-service solutions provider: offering value-added system designs and turnkey project consultation services.

Through this expansion, we hope to create an international platform where technology could be shared and integrated for the benefit of our customers.

By upholding the IDAH Spirit, the passionate team members of IDAH are committed to achieve this vision.

The IDAH Spirit

"Creativity, Honesty & Quality "

Creativity is what gave birth to IDAH in 1974 and consequently the birth of the feeds manufacturing industry in Asia.

Innovation through creativity is what has enabled us to be the industry driver from our inception until now. IDAH is committed and well positioned to lead the industry of tomorrow.

If creativity is the engine that has rapidly pushed IDAH forward; Honesty is what keeps us moving in the right direction.

IDAH has been firmly grounded on the virtues of quality, honour, and accountability. Our main business is to safeguard the trust that customers have given us and be a dedicated upholder of the highest quality standard.

Visit the website HERE.

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Progressive RAS design

by Rob J Davies, Principal Aquaculture Consultant & Head of RAS Projects, Malta

In order to survive you must adapt and evolve. As the need for land-based fish farms and research centres grows, so does the need to advance the design and efficiency of such facilities and reduce operating costs to enhance long-term feasibility. In order to do this, new technological advances must be tested before they are implemented in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), which makes having an R&D Centre essential.

Moreover, the newer facilities need to see tangible benefits from these recent advances; the more you build, the more efficient and lower the operating costs should be. Replicating the same design over and over is a recipe for failure.

A selection of these new technologies, in combination with those already established, have enabled rapid progress in RAS design in the last few years. The use of micro-dosing of oxygen and ozone using in-system redox and DO probes has allowed for a considerable reduction in the operating costs of these expensive gasses.

The implementation of nano-bubble technology (not to be confused with micro-bubble), where super-saturated oxygen remains in the water for longer without degassing, means that not only the injection efficiency of this gas has improved and is elevated beyond maximum saturation, but its secondary effects of partial sterilisation of water (reducing bacteria and pathogens) and lowering its density (thus helping to reduce pumping costs), has added more benefits to the overall operating efficiency. Lastly, the use of ozonated protein skimming in both sea and freshwater, cannot be underestimated.

The benefits of this technology are on multiple fronts:
• Removing micro-particulates- (Much beyond the capability of low micron mesh drum filters), enhancing water clarity, gas transfer efficiency, sight of feed and appetite, whilst reducing gill irritation and risk of hydrogen sulphide poisoning from excess solids in the system

• Constant partial sterilisation of the system - Reducing detrimental bacterial colonies and pathogens, and various life stages of some parasites

• Fish stress reduction - Especially when in handling situations, which improves appetite upon recommencement of normal operations and enhances general health

• Reduced heterotrophic competition in the biofilter - Increasing its efficiency, whilst partially directly reducing ammonia and nitrite with the use of low levels of ozone

• Increased degassing of CO2 - Especially with the use of cascade type skimmers which combined the skimming process with degassing, and increased oxygen levels in the system as the ozone reverts to oxygen

Read more HERE.

Leiber company profile

Now with more than 140 employees, with each one a specialist in his or her domain, Leiber has a well-proven team in a company following a clear strategy for more than 50 years: working with values.

“What makes us unique? We focus on what we know best. Yeast. Production on the highest level of quality. Latest technology. New findings from science and research. The performance of a team of specialists.

This is what defines Leiber´s strategic orientation. This is what makes us truly entrepreneurial”, as explained on the Leiber website.

“The markets´ requirements are changing - we are able to follow. This is how we became one of the leading manufacturers of specialised yeast products”.

Visit the website HERE.

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Aquaculture: Why the need for measuring, monitoring, and data logging?

by B. Serdar Yildirim, Akuamaks, Turkey

When it comes to working with offshore or freshwater (river/pond/dam) cage systems, it's crucial to analyse and log the levels of oxygen and temperature in order to have a strong emergency plan, a good FCR, risk free transport and a healthy stock.

The measurement when it's performed manually may not be as efficient and correct for several reasons such as lack of staff, high workload, calibration defects, harsh weather conditions or cable length of the appliance.

Measuring monitoring, and data logging
• Measures dissolved oxygen, temperature and saturation levels instantaneously
• In standard equipment, the user can set the alarm limits
• In "Barge + Cage Model", instant measurement results are transferred to the tablet in Barge from the cages where it's connected by Wi-Fi connection, allowing the staff to monitor the data immediately
• The results are transmitted to the central server over the Internet connection at intervals of five minutes from the tablet, which is monitored in Barge
• In cage facilities without barge, if the distance of the measured cages to the land is less than 400 meters and if there is an office with Internet connection on land, the same system can be used.

Some needs can’t be postponed
We use a system with a direct transmission module in facilities where the cages are located at a distance of 400-metres and where there is no barge. In these types of installations, the fact that they can be connected to the Internet via a mobile phone on those cages to be measured indicates that there is enough signal for data flow. Measurements made in cage five minutes to the central server over the data line at intervals. All measurements are recorded on the central server.

There is a separate file for all systems in the central server. All measurement results can be viewed up-to-date as soon as they are received, as well as recorded. The records can only be accessed by authorised personnel by using a user name and a password. All data can be accessed via tablets, mobile phones and computers anywhere on the globe with Internet connection. The results can be displayed either graphically or as an Excel spread sheet, instantly or by selecting a specific time period.

Read more HERE.

GePro company profile

GePro Gefluegel-Protein Vertriebs- gesellschaft mbH & Co. KG is a group company of PHW, one of the largest producers of poultry products in Europe

As a member of PHW, GePro is part of a completely integrated poultry production.

GePro headquarter is in Diepholz (Germany) with global sales offices located in Bangkok (Kingdom of Thailand) and Moscow (Russian Federation).

GePro transforms poultry by-products from the slaughterhouse into valuable ingredients for animal nutrition and biofuel (SP-Power)

With the state of the art production systems, our products are of extremely high quality and are regarded as benchmarks in the industry. The entire process is under strict veterinarian control leading to consistent flawless quality and great value proposition for our customers.

Visit the GePro website, HERE.

Pioneering animal health and nutrition researcher to receive Alltech Medal of Excellence

Dr Richard Murphy, research director at the Alltech European Bioscience Centre in Dunboyne, Ireland, will receive the Alltech Medal of Excellence during ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE19) when the event returns to Lexington, Kentucky, May 19–21.

Dr Murphy is receiving the award for his pioneering work in the areas of organic trace element assimilation, microbial enzyme technology and the mitigation of antimicrobial resistance in livestock production. The Alltech Medal of Excellence is Alltech's highest distinction and is awarded annually to someone of great character and achievement.

Dr Richard Murphy, research director at
the Alltech European Bioscience Centre
Image credit: Alltech

Dr Murphy's nearly 20-year career with Alltech began when he received his Ph.D. from the National University of Ireland, Galway after Alltech awarded him a research scholarship. He was under the tutelage of Dr Ronan Power, who is now vice president of Alltech Life Sciences, at the company's original Alltech European Bioscience Centre, which Dr Murphy has now led for 17 years.

His research has provided the basis for a revolution in animal nutrition, including several exciting developments in the industry. These include: the application of organic trace minerals and their potential to positively impact feed quality and decrease feed costs; the optimisation of solid state fermentation systems by utilising microbial enzyme production, opening opportunities for new supplementation approaches; and a better understanding of the microbial factors that influence gut health, which has been integral to the development of novel strategies for mitigating antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.

The Alltech Medal of Excellence is awarded each year during the opening session of ONE. Previous recipients include the late Dr Pearse Lyons, founder of Alltech; George Blankenship, former executive at Tesla Motors, Apple Computer and GAP Inc.; former US Secretary of State Colin Powell; John Calipari, men's basketball coach at the University of Kentucky; and Alan Mulally, former CEO of Ford.

'I'm very honoured to receive the Alltech Medal of Excellence, particularly given the caliber of previous recipients,' said Dr Murphy. 'Having been mentored throughout my career by two past recipients, Dr Karl Dawson (vice president and chief scientific officer at Alltech) and Dr Ronan Power, I consider myself lucky to have worked with such influential scientists, who have guided me through the many stages of my scientific adventures.'

'I would also like to acknowledge the late Dr Pearse Lyons as absolutely instrumental in helping me achieve my ambitions and encouraging in me the scientific curiosity that he himself was known for and shared with us all,' he continued.

During ONE19, Dr Murphy will take the conference mainstage to speak about our understanding of the microbiome, how it functions and how we can better support it, which will have major implications for animal agriculture and for human health.

Alltech's flagship conference, now in its 35th year, is attended annually by nearly 4,000 people from over 70 countries who gather to dream bigger and explore solutions to improve their businesses and the world around them. Ramez Naam, co-chair of Energy and Environment at Singularity University, will join survival expert Bear Grylls and best-selling business author Chris Zook as a keynote speaker at the conference. Naam, who believes Earth's greatest resource is human innovation, will discuss how technology is driving positive change and what we can do, right now, to get in on the action.

Following Tuesday's plenary session, ONE19 attendees will have the unique opportunity to join speakers for dinner as part of the ONE Table Talks. Claim your seat at one of the eight dinners for an interactive discussion on global challenges and opportunities within the food and agribusiness industry.

To learn more and register, visit the One Alltech website, HERE.

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