b'NUTRITIONIn 2011 the Food Safety Modernization Act brought the most sweeping food safe-ty law reforms in more than 70 years. The act established current good manufactur-ing practices (cGMPs) for manufacturing, processing, packing, and storing of animal feed. All manufacturers must be regis-tered with the FDA and have a certified hazardous control official responsible for implementing the mills well-documented hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls. These seek to avert issues related to biological, chemical, and physical haz-ards that could cause the product or work environment to become unsafe. Sourcing IngredientsHorse feeds include a large variety of components. After an equine nutrition-ist develops a formula for producing a certain feed, its up to the procurement PAM MACKENZIE PHOTOSteam to find ingredients for the mill. Theyre looking to get the best deal, but they should also not buy products that dont meet the quality standards of the company, says Lattimer. Many feed manufacturers mix a variety of vitamins and minerals into their products.Thunes says feed mills can source farm-grown ingredients, such as hay, oats, alfalfa, corn, barley, etc., in a varietyQuality Control facturers can assess the official grain of ways. The most economical methodThe ingredient procurement teamcertificate, which outlines that products is to purchase straight from the farmer.works directly with the manufacturersgrade, class, and condition. However, mills that dont need largequality assurance or quality control de- Mills look for grain of a particular quantities of an ingredient or dont wantpartment, which might reject ingredientsgrade, says Thunes, based on moisture to deal with a direct purchase might buythat do not meet the companys specifica- content, odor, percentage of damaged ker-through a broker. Some feed mills eventions, says Lattimer. nels (by heat and mold), dockage (weed grow their own ingredients.Offices and state and local agencies au- seeds, stems, and other waste materials), Horse feeds include a variety ofthorized by the Federal Grain Inspectionforeign materials, shrunken or broken vitamins and minerals, such as calcium,Service (FGIS, an agency of the USDA)grains, fungi, mycotoxins, aflatoxins, etc. phosphorus, magnesium, iron, iodine,oversee all grain inspection, weighing,As grain and other ingredients come into cobalt, copper, selenium, zinc, biotin, andand grading. This oversight helps thethe mill by either truckload or rail car, vitamins A, D, and E. Thunes says millsgrain industry operate under uniform anda mills staff might also perform its own might buy vitamins and minerals loose orofficial standards and procedures. Whenquality tests. However, Thunes says the formulated into a premix by another com- selecting grains for purchase, feed manu- testing requirements vary greatly between pany. Sometimes they do both and addcompanies. further vitamins or minerals to the premixSome have high standards, she says. based on what they prefer.Some have standards that are not so Additional ingredients include byprod- high. Some may not test. The really good ucts of other manufacturing processes,feed companies are going to test (the such as beet pulp, which is a byproduct ofgrain) before it even comes into the mill. the sugar beet industry; wheat middlings,If the ingredients dont meet the feed a byproduct of the flour milling industry;mills standards, theyre sent to another and distillers grains, a byproduct of thebuyer with different requirements. ethanol industry.The mills staff might also perform nu-With byproducts, says Lattimer, thetrient analysis using near-infrared spec-feed industry can make wise use oftroscopy (NIRS), says Lattimer. While not nutritionally beneficial resources and notas exact as true laboratory wet chemistry, waste ingredients that would otherwiseYour horses feed might also contain byproductsit does give a reliable, economical, and be discarded.such as beet pulp. quick estimation of starch, protein, fat, 44TheHorse.comTHE HORSE March 2018'