Transcript
Speaker: Hi everyone, welcome to Feed Strategy Podcast.
Speaker: I'm your host, Jackie Remke, Editor-in-Chief of Watts Feed Brands.
Speaker: This edition of Feed Strategy Podcast is brought to you by Adaseo.
Speaker: Adaseo is one of the world's leading experts in feed additives.
Speaker: The group relies on its six research centers and its production sites based in Europe, the US, China, and Thailand to design, produce, and market nutritional solutions for sustainable animal feed.
Speaker: With more than 2,700 employees, it serves around 4,200 customers in 110 different countries through its global distribution network.
Speaker: For more information about Adaseo, visit www.adaseo.com.
Speaker: In this edition of Feed Strategy Podcast, we will explore the benefits of liquid additives in animal feed
Speaker: and how they enhance production efficiency.
Speaker: Adaseo stands out as one of the few liquid additive suppliers offering specialized technology support to its customers.
Speaker: The company focuses on the importance of equipment for liquid additive application and works with its customers from the initial investment through maintenance
Speaker: Today, we're joined by Mark Perel, Adeseo's Global Solution Application Manager.
Speaker: He's here to discuss how feed operations can maximize the potential of liquid additives.
Speaker: Hi, Mark.
Speaker: How are you today?
Speaker: Hello, Jackie.
Speaker: Nice to talk to you today, and hello to our listeners.
Speaker: I'm very happy to have the opportunity of this podcast.
Speaker: Great, and we are so happy to have you join us.
Speaker: Well, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?
Speaker: Well, I'm 52 years old.
Speaker: I'm French.
Speaker: Started in the feed industry 30 years ago in 1994.
Speaker: I occupied different positions in the feed, premix, and additive.
Speaker: And I'm working for Addiceo now for 10 years.
Speaker: I occupied also different positions, but I'm fully dedicated, I would say, to fulfill customer needs in terms of product application.
Speaker: This is the core of our expertise, the application of additives.
Speaker: I had the opportunity in my career to support and to visit many countries.
Speaker: I think I could visit between 400 and 500 plants in the world.
Speaker: in over more or less 45 different countries.
Speaker: So it's a quite rich experience.
Speaker: Describe the Adaseo customer typically using the liquid feed additives.
Speaker: And if you could just dig a little deeper and describe the common production needs or challenges and what those customers expect from you as the supplier.
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker: Our main customers are compound feed and premix manufacturers.
Speaker: They are really the backbone of the animal nutrition industry.
Speaker: They work in a highly technical and regulated environment, so their expectations are pretty specific when it comes to using liquid additives like ours.
Speaker: Most of the time we are working with production, quality and maintenance managers and their key concerns revolve around safety, quality, productivity, sustainability and of course cost efficiency.
Speaker: When it comes to safety, they are looking for solutions that reduce risks both for their workers and for the animals eating the feed.
Speaker: Liquid additives are great in this respect because they can be applied through closed systems, which reduces exposure to dust and fine particles.
Speaker: So that's important, preventing health issues and even lowering the risk of dust explosion.
Speaker: Quality is another big one.
Speaker: Our customers expect additives that are consistent and easy to integrate into their processes, ensuring that the final product, the feed, is uniform and meets strict quality standards.
Speaker: Then there is productivity.
Speaker: Using liquid additives instead of powders makes things a lot simpler.
Speaker: Less manual handling, faster processing and easier automation.
Speaker: All of this leads to higher output with fewer mistakes.
Speaker: Sustainability is increasingly important too.
Speaker: Customers are looking for ways to improve feed efficiency and reduce their environmental impact.
Speaker: That means optimizing additive used to minimize waste and energy consumption during production.
Speaker: And finally, cost effectiveness is always at the top of the list.
Speaker: Our customers want to get real value from using liquid additives, not just in terms of performance, but also by lowering operational costs, whether that's through more efficient dosing, fewer losses, or even reduced maintenance on their equipment.
Speaker: So, to sum up, we are giving them reliable, efficient, and safe solutions that help them stay competitive in a tough market.
Speaker: And just as important, we provide ongoing technical support to make sure everything runs smoothly from installation to long-term operation.
Speaker: When we talk about liquid additives, what types of additives are we talking about exactly?
Speaker: Well, that's a range of compounds that enhance the nutritional value, the safety, and overall quality of animal feed.
Speaker: This includes a huge range of products like amino acids,
Speaker: especially hydroxymethionine, our core product, but also enzymes, vitamins, or even flavors and answers that make the feel more palatable for animals.
Speaker: So this is a huge range of different products.
Speaker: Why is it important to consider the application of these products?
Speaker: This is a key point, and that's typically the missions that we in ADCO have as technologists.
Speaker: The way that these additives are applied can directly affect their effectiveness.
Speaker: For example, liquid additives are gaining popularity because they integrate easily into automated processes and can offer more consistent dosing compared to powders.
Speaker: This ensures that
Speaker: that there are no dosing errors, leading to better mixing and more uniform feed quality.
Speaker: Plus, liquids save time, no manual handling like with powders, and they make the production environment safer, with less dust and fewer risk of inhalation or explosion.
Speaker: Another important thing is that different additives need to be applied at different stages of production.
Speaker: Some might go into enduring mixing, while others, like enzymes or heat-sensitive ingredients in general, should be added after pelleting to preserve their effectiveness.
Speaker: This is what we call PPLA, post pelleting liquid application.
Speaker: If you get this wrong, you risk losing the benefits of the additives or messing up the consistency of the feed.
Speaker: That's why using the right equipment and processes which we help our customers design is so critical to making sure additives perform as expected and bring the desired benefits to animal health and feed production.
Speaker: In the end, our additives are applied is not just a small detail.
Speaker: It's central to maintaining feed quality, ensuring animal performance and optimizing the entire production process.
Speaker: Now, we talked about the different types of additives and, of course, referenced the applications.
Speaker: Will you please outline the ways that Adiseo's expertise adds value for the feed millers?
Speaker: Well, at Adiseo, we've built up a lot of expertise over the years, particularly with liquid additives.
Speaker: One thing we have noticed is that liquids are sometimes overlooked or even misunderstood in feed mills.
Speaker: Traditionally, the industry has been focused on solids and powders, but liquid ingredients like oils, fats, molasses and venasses are a significant part of many feed formulas.
Speaker: They can make up five or more of the total, which is quite a lot.
Speaker: And their proper use can bring big benefits in terms of efficiency and quality.
Speaker: So we've been partnering with customers and gaining experience worldwide for about 30 years.
Speaker: Over that time, we've really gotten to know the different markets and their unique needs.
Speaker: So the different partnerships that we have include local and regional equipment suppliers.
Speaker: So working with them help us ensure that we are providing equipment and solutions that match the specific needs of each feed manufacturer in terms of technology, availability or cost.
Speaker: A second partnership is our network of agents and distributors.
Speaker: In some regions, those partners know their markets inside out, helping us stay close to our customers and ensuring our solutions are tailored to local conditions.
Speaker: They sometimes even help with the installation and maintenance of the equipments.
Speaker: Another type of partnership is labs, either internal or external labs.
Speaker: We collaborate with them for testing, quality control and innovation, making sure that our products meet high standards and keeping us at the forefront of new solutions based on solid research.
Speaker: And lastly, the trial centers.
Speaker: We work with them to test our additives in real female conditions so we know they work well before they reach our customers.
Speaker: As a company, we have continuously invested in feed technology and resources.
Speaker: I told you that I've been working here for 10 years, but in the past 10 years, we have doubled the size of our feed technology teams.
Speaker: And now every commercial region we operate, that's to say everywhere in the world, has one or more in-house technologists.
Speaker: That was not the case in the past.
Speaker: This network of experts offers hands-on support to our customers wherever they are.
Speaker: Whether we are helping design equipment for liquid additive application, ensuring proper maintenance, or offering technical training, they're every step of the way.
Speaker: On a global scale, our support helps bridge regions.
Speaker: A challenge that pops up today in Brazil may already have a solution in Europe or vice versa.
Speaker: We are also developing a common core of methods and tools that we share across the regions.
Speaker: So this combination of global expertise, local partnership, and a long history of providing practical solutions really sets us apart.
Speaker: We do not just deliver products.
Speaker: We offer comprehensive support to make sure that our customers get the most value out of their investment in liquid additives.
Speaker: And how do you specifically, typically work with the customers that you're interfacing with?
Speaker: Yeah, let's get more practical.
Speaker: So our customer support goes way beyond simply supplying additive, as I said.
Speaker: We offer a full range of services to help them seamlessly integrate these products into their operation.
Speaker: Let's take a few examples.
Speaker: One key service is our liquid equipment project management program.
Speaker: We call it the DIM program.
Speaker: So DIM stands for design, implement, and monitor.
Speaker: It's a structured approach we've been perfecting over the last decade, and we are especially proud of it as we are celebrating 10 years of success.
Speaker: So through the DIM program, we support customers at every stage,
Speaker: from the initial design phase where we help define the best equipment solution for their female to installation and finally ongoing monitoring to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Speaker: For example, we partner with a Spanish company called Mangra
Speaker: to create systems like the plug-and spray for liquid hydroxymethionine.
Speaker: These systems are easy to install and integrate directly into our customers' existing operations.
Speaker: They are designed to be user-friendly and safe, minimizing downtime while ensuring precise application of liquid additives.
Speaker: So today we have over 2,000 pieces of equipment
Speaker: installed worldwide only for liquid hydroxymethionine, and that number keeps growing.
Speaker: We just hit this milestone in 2023, which shows how much trust the industry places in our solutions.
Speaker: We also work closely with our customers to adapt our solutions to their specific needs.
Speaker: No two feed mills are the same.
Speaker: We have to customize our support depending on their setup, production requirement, and technical capabilities.
Speaker: Whether it's helping them choose the right dosing equipment or providing ongoing maintenance and training, we are there to provide hands-on and practical support.
Speaker: Another exciting area is our digital tools like DigiLeak in Asia.
Speaker: which is part of our effort to bring technology into the mix.
Speaker: DigiLeak lets customers track and monitor the status of their liquid additive equipment in real time, helping them optimize their processes.
Speaker: This is a great example of how we are using innovation to make feed production more efficient and data-driven.
Speaker: So our approach is all about combining expertise
Speaker: payload solutions and cutting edge technology to help our customers get the most out of their liquid additives.
Speaker: We don't just deliver products, we deliver peace of mind.
Speaker: Well, that's really interesting.
Speaker: Now, are there additional resources or services that Adaseo offers that we haven't touched on yet?
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker: While equipment is a big part of what we do, we are not just about the hardware.
Speaker: We offer a whole range of services, not only in technology, but let's focus on technology.
Speaker: We want to help our customers to get the most out of the additive.
Speaker: So it's not just about installing machines.
Speaker: It's about making sure everything runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
Speaker: For instance, we do audits to assess how well their processes are working and then give them specific recommendations to improve.
Speaker: We also offer training sessions where we teach their teams, everyone from operators to maintenance staff, how to handle and apply liquid additives in the best way possible.
Speaker: That way, they are fully equipped to maximize the benefit of the technology.
Speaker: On top of that, we are all about sharing knowledge.
Speaker: We organize conferences, webinars, or even publish articles to keep the industry up to date with the latest trends and innovation in feed technology.
Speaker: One of our big resources is our handbook on liquid additives.
Speaker: It's been really helpful for a lot of our customers, giving them practical advice on how to use liquid additives effectively.
Speaker: Now, I should mention that Addaseo does have a handbook for the application of liquid additives in feed.
Speaker: So the listener can either Google that title or search the Addaseo site to access that document.
Speaker: So now we'll move on to our final question.
Speaker: Mark, looking ahead, what is your vision for the future of liquid feed applications?
Speaker: Are there any innovations on the horizon that have piqued your interest?
Speaker: Innovation is a huge focus for us at ADC.
Speaker: We are always looking for new technologies and ways to improve what we offer to better meet our customers' needs.
Speaker: Right now, digitalization and the Internet of Things, IoT, are really transforming the industry, allowing us to bring even more precision and efficiency to feed production.
Speaker: But we are also cautious about innovation for innovation's sake.
Speaker: We don't want to jump on every trend or introduce solutions that might feel like gimmicks rather than being truly useful for our customers.
Speaker: Our approach is very practical.
Speaker: We make sure that whatever we introduce adds real value and is tailored to the specific needs of each customer.
Speaker: I will give you one example that occurred this year.
Speaker: We implemented an RFID-based system internally to track stock and product transfers.
Speaker: And we thought about extending that to our customers.
Speaker: But when we looked closer, we realized that many were not ready for that level of tech just yet.
Speaker: And that's okay, it's a good reminder that while innovation is important, it needs to be introduced at the right time and pace for each customer's situation.
Speaker: When we talk about the future, concepts like AI are definitely exciting, but I think there is still so much we can achieve with the basics.
Speaker: Things like better process control, improved measurement accuracy, and sticking to best practices.
Speaker: So before diving headfirst into advanced tech, it's crucial to get the fundamentals right.
Speaker: By mastering those core processes and refining the methods we already have, we can make a huge difference in efficiency, safety and feed quality.
Speaker: So our vision is clear.
Speaker: We'll keep pushing forward with innovation that brings real, tangible benefits to our customers.
Speaker: We'll embrace new technologies when it makes sense, but always with a focus on practical, meaningful solutions that improve their operation in the most effective way.
Speaker: Excellent.
Speaker: Thank you so much for your time today, Mark.
Speaker: That was very insightful about liquid additives, the equipment, applications, and
Speaker: and other considerations.
Speaker: If you, the listener, would like more information about Adaseo, its products and services, please visit www.adaseo.com.
Speaker: Thanks again, Mark, and thanks to you for tuning in.
Speaker: It was my pleasure, Jackie.
Speaker: Thank you.
