The future of animal feed and nutrition

The RIDA smart box and RIDA Smart App. Used to test the levels of mycotoxins in animal feed and deliver results through the mobile phone.

Consumers are challenging the food and animal feed industries in ways previously unimaginable. During the Akafema conference and exhibition in Nairobi, solutions were discussed, and unique perspectives were presented on the future of how nutrition will be delivered to humans.

Animals will need to be fed as long as milk, meat, and eggs remain the nutrition of choice for most of the eight billion people on the planet. Attendees and stakeholders in the animal feed and fodder industry were challenged to think about real partnerships to address climate change.

“Climate change remains a huge challenge. It is important to invest in sustainable feed production. At the moment, we in Kenya are keeping more livestock than our resources can support. Additionally, there is a lot of wastage and post-harvest losses,” said Dr Stanley Mutua from the State Department for Livestock, Animal Feeds, and Nutrition Services.

During the Animal Feed Exhibition and Conference, it emerged that the feed sector is grappling with a lack of raw materials, limited availability of new feed protein sources, non-optimal transport, storage, production, and application practices, as well as a lack of feed quality testing facilities. It is also estimated that about 46.3 per cent of feeds are lost in the post-harvest stage.

Farming generates a wealth of data, allowing artificial intelligence to detect patterns in animal performance and crop production systems.

To future-proof traditional livestock farming, the Akafema conference noted that feeding livestock precisely is critical to a sustainable future, but technology adoption is slow.

Over 50 exhibitors were present to showcase solutions for revolutionising the feed and fodder industry in Kenya. Some came from as far as Asia and Europe.

Here are some of the technologies that were showcased:

Evaluemate NIR Tool

By simply scanning the raw materials, farmers can instantly evaluate the quality and nutritional value of feeds, enabling them to challenge suppliers on quality parameters and adjust formulations as needed. This technology empowers farmers with the necessary information to ensure a stable nutritional supply for their animals, ultimately enhancing their productivity.

The Evaluemate, developed by Agrifirm, is a mobile Near Infrared (NIR) analysis tool designed to deliver instant, accurate analyses right at users' fingertips. The tool eliminates the tedious process of taking samples to the lab and waiting days to receive the results. Instead, within just a few seconds, farmers can obtain basic analysis results on their phones, and a detailed report can be generated through the Agrihub Portal.

Agrifirm's Key Account Manager for East Africa, Charles Kigen, says this service is offered to their clients for free. They do not sell the tool because it can be quite costly for the farmers. By simply indicating the type of feed, the tool can be placed on the feed to analyze its contents, such as moisture and protein.

“Whether on a truck before offloading, in the raw material warehouse, or even at the supplier’s depot, this mobility not only saves time but also ensures that raw materials are tested before they are used, maintaining the quality of the feed,” said Kigen.

The tool also plays a crucial role in validating the formulation of the final feed. Once the raw materials are assessed and the formulation is fine-tuned, the tool verifies that the final product fed to the animals reflects the intended nutritional information.

“This final validation step is essential to guarantee that the feed meets the required standards before being given to the animals,” said Kigen.

The RIDA Smart Box and App

The RIDA Smart Box and RIDA Smart App play a crucial role in the rapid detection and quantification of mycotoxins in various samples, such as grains, nuts, and animal feed. 

Evaluemate NIR tool used to tell the quality of animal feed and nutrient content.

This new technology, developed by R-Biopharm AG, is set to transform how farmers manage feed quality. The box and app work together to provide results without the need to take samples to the lab, which can be time-consuming.

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by certain fungi (molds) that grow on crops and foodstuffs. An example is aflatoxin. If they exceed recommended levels, mycotoxins can cause various health issues, ranging from acute poisoning to chronic conditions like cancer and immune deficiency.

In livestock, mycotoxins can lead to reduced productivity, reproductive issues, and even death. Contaminated feed can also result in toxins being transferred into animal-derived products like milk, meat, and eggs.

Together, the RIDA Smart Box and RIDA Smart App provide a solution for mycotoxin testing, from detection to data management and reporting.

“The system helps producers and manufacturers ensure that their products meet regulatory standards for mycotoxin levels, thereby avoiding potential legal and financial repercussions,” said Jerobiam Marvin Julies, R-Biopharm's Africa and Middle East Sales Manager for Food and Feed.

How they work

The sample (e.g., grains, nuts) is ground and mixed with an extraction solvent to release the mycotoxins. The mixture is then filtered or centrifuged to obtain a clear extract. A test strip (lateral flow test) is used, featuring antibodies specific to the mycotoxins of interest. The extract is applied to the test strip.

The strip is incubated for a short period (usually a few minutes) to allow the mycotoxins in the sample to react with the antibodies on the strip. The test strip is then inserted into the RIDA Smart Box, which reads the strip and quantifies the presence of mycotoxins.

After the box reads the strip, the data is captured by the app. The app analyzes the data from the test strip and provides quantitative results for the mycotoxins present in the sample.

The app displays the results on a smartphone or tablet, making it easy to interpret and share the data.

“The system provides results in a matter of minutes, making it suitable for rapid on-site testing. It provides quantitative measurements of mycotoxin levels, which are critical for ensuring compliance with safety standards,” said Julies.

Alternative protein sources

To address the deficit in raw materials and improve production, Kenya has been forced to import soy from countries such as Uganda and Zambia — a factor that leads to increased prices of feeds.

However, raw materials such as cotton seed cake are now being adopted, and sunflower is being planted around Migori for animal feed production.

Insect protein: Utilising insects like black soldier fly larvae as a sustainable and high-protein feed ingredient.

Single-cell proteins: Using algae, yeast, and bacteria to produce protein-rich feed ingredients.

Plant-based proteins: Breeding and genetically modifying plants to enhance their protein content and nutritional value.