With the outbreak of African swine fever, U.S. pork producers are expressing concern about the safety of imported feed ingredients coming from China. One area of interest is vitamins. According to a Rabobank report, University of Minnesota Swine Nutrition Professor Jerry Shurson says more than half of the vitamins put into swine diets are exclusively produced in China. “It’s raised the question: Is vitamin A a risk factor? We’re applying gelatin as a protective coating during the manufacturing process, which occurs in China,” says Shurson. “We don’t have the answer, but are identifying some of the potential risk factors. That will help us think about the different things that could be contributing to the risk of transmission.” Shurson says researchers want to essentially update that Rabobank report and collect current information about the global vitamin supply chain.
News Categories
Latest RRFN Podcasts
Subscribe to RRFN
Get a weekly digest from RRFN to stay up-to-date on all the latest news in agriculture.