Cargill expands animal nutrition innovation center

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Faced with volatile commodity markets and changing regulations and consumer needs, animal producers are operating in an increasingly complex world. To help them more quickly respond in this dynamic environment, Cargill has expanded and renovated its Global Animal Nutrition Innovation Center in Velddriel, The Netherlands.  

"We wanted to find the best way to satisfy the nutrition research and development needs of our customers," said Dave Cook, research & development director for Cargill's animal nutrition business. "So, we designed a facility we believe will promote collaboration among our experts as well as those from local universities to accelerate innovation and allow us to more quickly deliver new products and services to our customers."

Designed to serve dairy, poultry and swine customers, the Cargill Animal Nutrition Innovation Center includes new poultry nutrition research facilities, new guest viewing corridors and the collective knowhow of its Netherlands-based animal nutrition experts.

The $3.7 million expansion and renovation comprises a new broiler grow-out facility and a state of the art broiler breeder facility.  Both were designed to meet or exceed all European regulations and to provide additional capabilities. As one example, the new broiler breeder facility allows our scientists to investigate the impact of the hen's nutrition on the performance of its offspring.  "We can collect the fertile eggs, incubate them and not only look at fertility and hatchability but also subsequent performance," says Cook. 

The Global Innovation Center hosts more than 3000 visitors a year and the new viewing corridors will allow visitors to conveniently view the animal R&D facilities without changing footwear or clothes while improving hygiene standards.

The Velddriel location is one of Cargill's two global animal nutrition innovation centers.  It, along with the Elk River, Minn., location, serves as the hub of the company's global network of 15 animal nutrition research and technology centers that are working around the clock to explore, innovate and think ahead of the challenges customers face in navigating today's complex and ever-changing environment.

About Cargill
Cargill provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world. Together with farmers, customers, governments and communities, we help people thrive by applying our insights and 150 years of experience. We have 143,000 employees in 67 countries who are committed to feeding the world in a responsible way, reducing environmental impact and improving the communities where we live and work. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.

Cargill Animal Nutrition
Cargill's animal nutrition business has more than 17,000 employees at more than 250 facilities in 37 countries offering a range of products and services to feed manufacturers, animal producers, and feed retailers around the world. In 2011, Cargill completed the acquisition of Provimi, a global leader in premix and animal nutrition solutions, adding to Cargill's portfolio of animal nutrition offerings. Today, Cargill's animal nutrition business offers a range of compound feed, premixes, feed additives, supply chain and risk management solutions, software tools and animal nutrition expertise that is unmatched in the industry. For more information about Cargill Animal Nutrition, visit: http://www.cargill.com/feed.

SOURCE Cargill

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