USA- The US Grains Council (USGC) has released a handbook for new high-protein corn co-products from the ethanol industry in the United States and used in the feed industry.
Corn distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) are a unique feed ingredient that is an excellent, abundant, and economical source of energy, protein, and phosphorus in diets for all animals while providing additional animal health and environmental benefits.
Corn co-product production began in the 19th century in the alcoholic beverage distilleries (e.g., whiskey distilleries) that used corn as a primary feedstock, and the resulting wet distillers’ grains fed to dairy and beef cattle at nearby farms to partially replace other protein ingredients.
The updated handbook by USGC articulates the differences between traditional distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and newer, higher-protein corn co-products.
It supplements the USGC’s current series of DDGS user handbooks, which have been updating US DDGS importers worldwide on the nutritional profiles of these products and their applications in animal feed since 2007.
“Considering the increasing popularity and usages of US DDGS, plus the new high-value corn co-products now entering the market, we believe this handbook will help buyers and end users stay informed on these high-quality feed ingredients,” said Kurt Shultz, senior director of global strategies for the USGC.
Dr. Jerry Shurson, a professor of animal nutrition at the University of Minnesota, wrote the new guide adding to a robust catalog of information about US corn co-products that will help international producers incorporate them into their animal rations.
The handbook includes chapters explaining the nutritional composition of high-protein corn co-products and details about feeding applications for different animals, including in aquaculture diets.
“In periods of higher global grain prices, US corn co-products are one tool to lower feed costs,” Shultz said.
These ingredients are necessary in light of the significant role the global feed industry plays in feeding the world sustainably, yielding over 1 billion tons of feed annually.
While various feed grains such as corn, sorghum, wheat, and barley represent the key ingredients used in animal feeds, the vast majority of feed ingredients used by the global feed industry are by-products derived from various agricultural and food industries.
As the demand for corn to produce ethanol remains steady, all of the non-starch components are recovered and concentrated (by about three-fold) in the coproducts and used to displace significant amounts of corn and soybean meal in animal feeds.
“Therefore, the feed industry plays a vital role in “recycling” nutrients, capturing economic value, improving food security, and minimizing negative environmental impacts by using these nutrient sources to produce abundant amounts of high-quality animal-derived foods,” the USGC provides.
“When included in properly formulated feeds, it results in excellent animal health, performance, and feed product quality,” Shultz added.
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