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  • Queen's University Belfast

Animal Feed Production: Feed Quality

Explore animal feed manufacturing, and learn the best processes and systems for optimising animal feed quality.

1,242 enrolled on this course

Chickens pecking grains off the grass with hills in the background
  • Duration

    5 weeks
  • Weekly study

    4 hours
  • Accreditation

    AvailableMore info
The CPD Certification Service

This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. Find out more.

Learn about animal feed production, quality assurance, and regulation

Please note this course runs without facilitation

The quality of animal feed is important to ensure animal production systems are healthy. A good livestock diet can boost profitability on farms, as well-fed animals are healthier, more productive, and less likely to incur costly vet bills.

On this course, you’ll learn control systems and testing methods used to maximise animal feed quality. You’ll discover different types of animal feed production, explore issues which affect the quality of feed, and learn the regulatory requirements.

This course will help you to become a responsible feed producer and stakeholder in the animal feed sector.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 5 seconds The quality and safety of animal feed are of primary importance to ensuring healthy animal production systems. A good livestock diet can make or break profitability on a farm. Well-fed animals are healthier and more productive in terms of both quality and quantity. They’re also more likely to live longer and less likely to incur costly veterinary bills. EIT Food, in partnership with Queens University Belfast, University of Turin, and DIL, have designed two complementary online courses– animal feed production– feed quality and food safety– which will explore the control systems and testing methods that can be used to maximise the quality and safety of animal feed.

Skip to 0 minutes and 56 seconds Through videos, activities, and quizzes, as well as interviews from different stakeholders involved in the animal feed sector, the course will empower those in the sector to produce high quality and safe feed responsibly. The course will cover topics including the quality management system, feed ingredient quality, adulteration and feed quality, feedstuff categories, legislation, microbiological and chemical aspects, feed processing, and feed formulation principles. The course is designed for continuous professional development of animal feed mill monitors and for training existing and new operators, as well as other personnel, including administrative and sales staff, food scientists, regulators, and others interested in animal feed production.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Product Quality Assurance and Control Systems

    • Sheep eating animal feed

      Welcome to the course

      Welcome to the course. Here you will meet the team who you will learn with. This includes staff from Queens University, Belfast, University of Turin and The German Institute of Food Technologies.

    • Hen eating animal feed

      Quality requirements for feed

      Animal feed quality influences animal health and productivity. Quality requirements for feed are discussed here, including adherence to EU legislation and quality systems (e.g. HACCP and GMP).

    • Washing hands

      Good Manufacturing Practices

      Good manufacturing practices provide guidance for manufacturing, testing and quality assurance in order to ensure the production of high quality, safe and consistent products.

    • Man using a microscope

      Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP)

      HACCP is a systematic preventative approach to manage food safety hazards. Here we will introduce the HACCP system and outline the 12 steps required to conduct a HACCP study.

    • White and black cow standing on a grass field

      Summary

      To end the first week we have a quiz for you to complete. We also encourage you to reflect on what you have learnt this week.

  • Week 2

    Quality Management System

    • The word 'QUALITY' in a magnifying glass

      Welcome to week 2

      Welcome to week 2. This week we will introduce the Quality Management System; quality control and quality assurance; and auditing of feed production.

    • Quality documentation

      The Quality Management System

      The quality management system is a proactive approach which helps to reduce issues before they arise through a continuous process of process and product assessment, auditing and fault correction.

    • Quality control sign

      Quality Control and Assurance

      Quality control and assurance allows an organisation to ensure they produce a product which is under control; and within agreed specifications and regulatory requirements.

    • Magnifying glass and notebook

      Auditing

      An audit is undertaken to determine whether the feed mills production processes, activities and final products comply with the documented QMS and to verify these policies and procedures are fit for purpose.

    • Woman in countryside

      Summary

      To end the week please try the quiz to see what you have learnt about the quality management system.

  • Week 3

    Feed Ingredient Quality

    • Cow in a field

      Welcome to week 3

      Welcome to week 3. This week we will take a closer look at quality parameters in animal feed and explore feed quality assessment.

    • Hen eating animal feed

      Feed Ingredient Quality

      The quality of animal feed is becoming an increasing important attribute for customers. Here we will explore the nutritional, technological, sensory, safety and emotional qualities of animal feed.

    • Barley and wheat plants

      Feed Quality Assessment

      In order to show compliance to the quality attributes outlined in the specification, feed quality assessments are important. Here we will introduce organoleptic, chemical and microbiological assessments.

    • Man in laboratory

      Analytical Techniques

      Analytical tools are used in the analysis of feed and food for monitoring quality, contamination and disease. Here we will outline the different types of analytical methods and some important considerations.

    • Calves

      Summary

      To end the week please try the quiz to see what you have learn about animal feed quality.

  • Week 4

    Quality control and testing methods

    • Woman pipetting

      Welcome to week 4

      Welcome to week 4. This week we will introduce some of the commonly used methods to analyse the microbiological, physical and chemical aspects of feed.

    • Man using a microscope

      Microbiological testing methods

      Microbiological testing methods are often required to confirm compliance to feed safety regulations and customer requirements. Here we will introduce some of the methods used to identify microorganisms in animal feed.

    • Test tubes

      Chemical testing methods

      Chemical testing methods allows an analyses of the composition of substances in the feed. This week we will explore both wet chemistry and instrumental analytics.

    • Man in laboratory

      Physical testing methods

      Physical testing methods are used to determine the quality of a compound feed. Here we will introduce the methods used to determine these physical characteristics.

    • Grain field

      Summary

      To end the week please try the quiz to see what you have learnt about microbiological, chemical and physical testing methods.

  • Week 5

    Adulteration in Feed Quality

    • Grains

      Welcome to week 5

      Welcome to week 5. This week will explore the vulnerability of the feed chain to fraud.

    • Tractor in field

      Vulnerability of the animal feed chain to adulteration

      Fraud in the food and feed chain is defined as food or feed ingredients or products which have deliberately been placed on the market for financial gain. Here we introduce the vulnerability of the animal feed chain to fraud.

    • Staring cows

      Types of Fraud

      Fraud can be broadly categorised as: adulteration, tampering, product overrun, theft, diversion, simulation and counterfeiting. Here we will describe these different types of fraud.

    • Microscope

      Surveillance and mitigation measures

      The act of fraud is undertaken to go unnoticed. This can make surveillance and mitigation measures difficult to assign. Here we will outline the need for a proactive approach as countermeasures can become redundant very quickly

    • Cows

      Summary

      To end the week please try the quiz to see what you have learnt about fraud in the animal feed chain.

    • Pixabay

      End of course

      Congratulations you have reached the end of the course. Please take some time to reflect on what your have learnt across the five weeks.

Who is this accredited by?

The CPD Certification Service
The CPD Certification Service:

The CPD Certification Service was established in 1996 and is the leading independent CPD accreditation institution operating across industry sectors to complement the CPD policies of professional and academic bodies.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Demonstrate the multidiscipline nature of animal feed production
  • Identify the range and types of issues that can affect the quality of feed
  • Explore the regulatory requirements related to the production of animal feed
  • Reflect on the knowledge and skills required for the production of quality animal feed relative to livestock production
  • Describe the most commonly used methods to analyse the microbiological, physical, and chemical aspects of feed
  • Assess product quality assurance and control systems to ensure animal feed quality

Who is the course for?

The course is designed for animal feed mill managers looking to continue their professional development and training.

It is also useful for existing and new operators, their administrative and sales staff, food scientists, process engineers, and regulators on feed quality assurance practices.

If you’re looking to expand your knowledge on this topic, you might also find of interest the following EIT Food courses on animal feed production and farming:

Who will you learn with?

Michaela Fox

Michaela is a Lecturer in Education working on the development of EITFOOD education programmes. Her background is in food science and research at the Institute for Global Food Security.

Francesco Chiesa

DVM, Assistant Professor at the Department of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Turin, Italy.
Research field: Food Safety

Mehmet MC

I am subject matter expert for the German Institute of Food technologies e.V. and loving to transfer value and practically useable knowledge.

Who developed the course?

EIT Logo

EIT Food

EIT Food is Europe’s leading food initiative, working to make the food system more sustainable, healthy and trusted.

Queen's University Belfast

Queen's University Belfast

Queen’s University Belfast is a member of the Russell Group of 24 leading UK research-intensive universities.

Endorsers and supporters

supported by

DIL logo

content provided by

University of Turin logo

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