Romanian, Bulgarian Feed Customers Attend USSEC’s Quality Control Training

In a dual effort to expand opportunities for U.S. Soy and transfer knowledge to customers, USSEC organized a training dedicated to Applied Quality Control in Feed Manufacturing. Key lab personnel from top companies representing over 70 percent of the Romanian and Bulgarian feed industries attended the event held on April 9 and 10 in Bucharest, Romania.
The activity focused on educating lab personnel from key U.S. soy customers from Romania and Bulgaria, implementing different methods to identify the distinct quality attributes of soybean meals from different origins and how to recognize the advantage of U.S. Soy’s superior quality attributes, turning these into practical knowledge and eventually into dollar savings in feed production.

USSEC consultants Dr. Julian Wiseman, Dr. Carsten Pederse, and Dr. Jan van Eys reviewed U.S. Soy’s quality distinct attributes at the event organized for the East European customers

“Because of the importance of soy and soy derivative products for efficient animal nutrition, we have emphasized the key role of monitoring quality of those products, through periodic sampling and testing in order to determine compliance to specifications or need for corrective action. We also stressed the importance of continuous monitoring of the soybean meal, real time adjustment of the ingredient matrices in feed formulation database in order to stay competitive,” says Dr. Jan van Eys, a USSEC consultant who spoke at the event.
The audience gained particularly valuable insight from USSEC consultant Dr. Carsten Pedersen’s presentation on Maillard reaction, which has a crucial role for soy products’ quality, how this occurs in soy processing, why is it important, and how to analyze Maillard reactions in soy products. The consultant recommended the methods to be used for Maillard reaction in soy products, including Lysine to Crude Protein ratio, Reactive Lysine and Furosine and frequency for implementation of those methods.
Guest speakers from FOSS Denmark and Romania, Evonik Romania and Control Union Romania joined the program with presentations dedicated to accurate monitoring of raw materials and feed compound in order to guarantee quality.
Speakers reviewed and emphasized the importance of the proper sampling of soy, how to process statistical data, and how to identify standard deviation along the supply and production chain from collecting samples. Furthermore, the audience gained understanding of the difference between standard deviation and standard variation, each used for different goals: standard deviation for reporting, while standard variation is for calculations.

Guest speakers: Mr. Florin Badea (FOSS Romania), Mr. Bengt (Foss Denmark), Mr. Ionel (Control Union Romania) and Ms. Ancuta Ion (Evonik Romania)

All the presentations given by the guest speakers concentrated on quality control for the soy supply chain and in the feed industry and how this is associated with formulation and purchasing decisions. Consequently, these presentations and the ensuing discussions provided an important opportunity to emphasize the role these same considerations play in the use and application of U.S. Soy.
Of special interest were the reports of Dr. Ancuta Ion from Evonik, demonstrating their extensive survey of soy products from different origins, concentrating on the U.S., Brazil, and Argentina. Evonik’s information should complement results generated by the USSEC’s European research group.

Over 30 delegates from the Romanian and Bulgarian feed industries attended the Applied Quality Control training hosted by USSEC in Bucharest, Romania
The event proved to be an inspiring networking experience for the quality control specialists from Romania and USSEC consultants
USSEC consultants Dr. Julian Wiseman and Dr. Jan van Eys handing out participation certificates during the awards ceremony

At the conclusion of the event, the participants agreed that all topics were of definite interest, concentrating on quality aspects associated with the use of soy products and the advantages that U.S. Soy can bring in this area. All presentations emphasized the crucial role of soy and soy products in the various quality aspects and how they need to be used and regarded within the entire feeding complex for monogastric and ruminant animals feeding. The activity proved to reach the goals: to transfer knowledge to U.S. soy customers and build trust in U.S. Soy as a quality and reliable source of protein for the growing East European feed and livestock industries.