From the editors of Feedstuffs
Expanding space frontiers create challenges for food industry As the scope of space travel expands to new outer limits, food scientists and technologists are challenged with how to keep astronauts nourished for extended periods of time while minimizing packaging waste and weight. During IFT First in Chicago, a panel of food scientists with expertise in food technology related to space travel joined together with former astronaut Dr. Scott Parazynski to discuss the research and development of foods on edges of human experience. Read more Tyson Foods' 2021 Sustainability Report looks to the future
Tyson Foods, a leading global protein company, released its 2021 (FY21) Sustainability Report today, which reflects the company’s continued focus on supporting its people and communities, driving product responsibility and working to sustain natural resources.
“More than ever, Tyson Foods is operating as part of a global food system and we have a critical role to play in responsibly producing food that is affordable, accessible and nutritious,” said John Tyson, executive vice president of strategy & chief sustainability officer at Tyson Foods. “At the same time, we are investing in team member benefits and services to become the most sought-after place to work in the protein industry.” Read more Virginia Tech completes $31 million construction of livestock centers
Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences recently finished $31 million of construction on a series of new and renovated buildings around its Blacksburg campus that helps cement the university's role as a source of research, education and outreach that serves the commonwealth's largest private industry – agriculture.
The buildings, which will help the livestock and poultry industries thrive, are part of the newly formed School of Animal Sciences, which merged the departments of Animal and Poultry Sciences and Dairy Science into one cohesive unit in order to strengthen their impact on the commonwealth, the nation and the world. Read more
UC Davis Ph.D. student develops AI platform for dairy producers
A Ph.D. candidate in animal biology at the University of California Davis has developed a customizable artificial intelligence platform called DairyFit to help dairy farmers get a better sense of what is happening in their herds. Catie McVey combined biostatistics and machine learning into an algorithmic platform where farmers can visualize data that is already being captured and analyze it to look for insights into behavior.
"DairyFit helps to pull out patterns hiding in big messy data streams," she says. "Then it lets the farmer decide the right management intervention. I want to empower farmers with data, not replace them." Read more
Koch Foods agrees to $15.5m settlement in price-fixing lawsuit Koch Foods Inc. and Koch Meat Co. Inc. have agreed to a $15.5 million settlement in a class action price-fixing lawsuit brought against them by broiler chicken growers. However, the companies deny any wrongdoing and have asserted defenses to the claims against them. The class action lawsuit alleged several companies that contract with broiler chicken growers to provide broiler grow-out services unlawfully conspired to artificially reduce the amount the paid for the grower services, which is in violation of the federal antitrust laws and the Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA). A hearing will be held on October 28, 2022 to decide whether to approve the settlement. Read more
