Dutch companies propose international animal feed development center

Plans to create an international facility for the development of new animal feed products have been unveiled at the Victam International feed industries show in Cologne, Germany. With a starting budget estimated at between €3-4 million (US$4.5-5.9 million), the facility would represent an investment by a collection of industry suppliers and feed manufacturers in order to provide an independent center where ingredients and formulations could be tested under controlled conditions using the latest technology.

Plans to create an international facility for the development of new animal feed products have been unveiled at the Victam International feed industries show in Cologne, Germany. 

With a starting budget estimated at between €3-4 million (US$4.5-5.9 million), the facility would represent an investment by a collection of industry suppliers and feed manufacturers in order to provide an independent center where ingredients and formulations could be tested under controlled conditions using the latest technology.

Four companies from the Netherlands are behind these plans — equipment company Dinnissen Process Technology, feed products supplier Vitelia, ingredients specialist DSM and software house Imtech. They hope to be joined by one or two manufacturers of complete feeds or premixes to complete the team of founders, but emphasize that the proposed center will not be allied to any one company. It will be open to any developer to use on a confidential basis and will contain system components from a range of suppliers. The partners also envision that it will have an international training role in introducing young people from various countries to the different parts of the feed manufacturing process.

This process will be fully represented from the grinding stage right through to final steps such as extrusion, according to the plans. Tests can involve any or all stages, in production runs from 200 kilograms to 2,000 kilograms per hour.

Design details have been finalized, said Henri Michiels, director of Dinnissen, and the center's location has been chosen. The group hopes to have financing settled during the second half of 2011 with construction beginning soon after.

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