Following an inquiry from Russia’s largest meat producer, USSEC animal utilization (AU) consultant Dr. Jan van Eys, accompanied by local consultant Dr. Maria Domoroshchenkova, visited Cherkizovo’s research/testing center outside Moscow at the beginning of February. David Leishman, U.S. Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) Director, and Andrey Gryaznov, ag specialist from the Foreign Agricultural Services (FAS) at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, also participated in the visit.
The Cherkizovo Group’s infrastructure includes 8 full cycle poultry production complexes, 15 modern pork production complexes, 6 meat processing plants, 9 feed mills, and grain storage facilities. This integration company produces 1.8 million metric tons (MMT) of compound feed and is Russia’s largest feed producer annually. Keeping high quality standards of operations and finished products requires a sustainable and reliable system of testing and quality control.
The Research Center of Cherkizovo Group is an innovative laboratory complex at a world class level, making it possible to test any of the products produced at the Cherkizovo facilities and from outside clients. The ultra-modern laboratory has 33 high-qualified personnel with an average age of around 30 years who use some of the most modern lab equipment capable to perform a wide range of analyses of raw materials and feed and food ingredients that go from dry matter or ash to mass spectrophotometry and gene sequencing.
The managers and the staff of the Research Center were highly interested in the visit of Dr. van Eys, the author of the 2nd edition of the Manual of Quality Analysis of Soybean Products in the Feed Industry, published by USSEC. Dr. Elena Kornilova, head of the lab, said that they were happy to use the manual on a regular basis and look forward to the next edition.
During the on-site seminar, Dr. van Eys was glad to share his expertise in the quality aspects of soybean meal and alternative soy products, including the characteristics and potential use of fermented soybean meal. The presentation was followed by a lively discussion and an invitation for new visits. The management of the center was very thankful to USSEC for the visit and look for further cooperation and new opportunities to receive modern knowledge and technical training.