November 26, 2015

 

 

The Specialty Feed Ingredients Sustainability (SFIS) Project Consortium has announced  the  finalisation  of  the Product  Category Rules (PCRs) for evaluating the environmental footprint of animal production when using Specialty Feed Ingredients (SFIs) in feed.

 

The consortium is dedicated to cutting down the environmental impact of livestock production through innovative specialty feed ingredients, and led by the International  Feed  Industry  Federation  (IFIF)  and  the  EU  Association  of  Specialty  Feed Ingredients and their Mixtures (FEFANA).

 

It also brings together the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), the Japan Feed Manufacturers Association (JFMA) and the Brazilian Feed Industry Association (Sindirações), as well as companies active in feed and specialty feed ingredients production.

 

The overall results of the SFIS study - which was commissioned by IFIF and FEFANA - showed that the use of SFIs in animal diets reduces the consumption of basic feed ingredients.

 

A rigorous SFIS analysis provides strong scientific evidence demonstrating that the  use of amino acids and phytase contributes to reducing the environmental impact from poultry and pig production. 

 

The  addition  of  these  specialty  feed  ingredients  reduces  excretion  of nitrogen and phosphorus into the environment, while at the same time reducing the recourse to finite resources, such as phosphate.

 

The results of the study were validated by an independent Scientific Council which consists of global experts in the fields of LCA methodology and animal nutrition.

 

"The development of product category rules is an important achievement for the specialty feed ingredients industry as it establishes common agreed rules to be used by all," said Dr. Michael Binder, the chair of the SFIS technical board.

 

"By setting up a standard approach, the SFIS project will enable specialty feed ingredients to be included in the evaluation of mitigation measures to reduce the environmental impact of animal production on a global basis," Dr. Binder added.

 

"Partners of the SFIS project are committed to sharing the positive results of their work with international  organisations and other feed chain operators," Philippe Becquet, the chair of the SFIS management board, highlighted.

 

"The project team, supported by its Scientific Council, will publish the results in the forthcoming issue of the peer reviewed Scientific Journal of Animal Science. The SFIS project is a prominent example of how the feed industry is working together to improve the sustainability of the whole feed and food chain," Becquet added.