INTERVIEW ▶▶▶
poultry industry knows, overall lifetime performance depends on having the right nutrition at the early life stages. That’s why we like to say that a good start makes all the difference. Due to their immature gut system, young birds do not digest soy well, that’s where Hamlet Protein comes in. Our soy-based vegetable protein specialty ingredients drive performance and health, and ultimate- ly that improves the profitability of the producer. These benefits become even more important with the reduction of antibiotic growth promotors and the phasing out of medicated feeds.”
Your production process is quite energy intensive; how does that fit in with your sustainability goals? “Sustainability is at the core of what we do at Hamlet Protein. We continuously work to reduce our CO2
footprint through the opti-
misation of our production efficiency and supply chain. In Decem- ber 2019, we built the biggest heat pumping facility in Denmark which transfers excess heat from Hamlet’s production facility to provide heating for more than three thousand local households. This unique public-private venture clearly confirms Hamlet’s com- mitment to sustainable production processes resulting in direct gains for both the climate and the community. Besides which Denmark has a good supply of ‘green’ electricity from our wind- farms, both onshore and offshore. In our US facility we re-circulate excess heat from our production process to power our plant.”
Sustainability and circularity are among the drivers behind the European Commission’s decision to reintroduce pro- cessed animal proteins (PAPs) in animal feed. What do you think about that? “In my view the re-introduction of PAPs was a necessary step to pave the way for insect protein in diet formulations. The availabili- ty of alternative protein sources is important as we need to feed a growing world population, however, I do not see the industry go- ing back to the old days with PAPs derived from animal by-prod- ucts, even though the new legislation allows for that. While some will welcome the decision, we believe that PAPs are not the miss- ing link in animal feed production. The feed industry adapted well with vegetal protein and the use of phytase to replace the missing phosphorus. For multi-species feed mills the risk of cross-contami- nation cannot be ignored. Finally, the consumer’s opinion is what matters most and the use of animal protein ingredients in animal diets may very well come under pressure in the future.”
And how do you see PAPs in relation to the ‘all veg’ ap- proach of Hamlet? “It’s important to note that current diets have changed compared to when PAPs were allowed in the past. The use of AGPs has been banned and from next year onwards zinc oxide will no longer be al- lowed in the EU. It is well-known that animal proteins (e.g. meat, fish) are predisposing factors to intestinal inflammation, such as ne- crotic enteritis by Clostridium. That begs the question: are nutrition- ists going to take the risk of using meat meal again but then with- out any AGPs? I do not see PAPs as a threat to our Hamlet Protein
40 ▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 10, 2021
business. The high digestibility level of the Hamlet Protein product range is essential for young animals and it can be used in a fully vegetarian diet, which makes it an increasingly attractive option for our customers. The quality of raw material is now more important than ever as there is nothing anymore to ‘hide behind’ in the diet.”
With over two years at the helm of Hamlet, where do you want to be in two years’ time? “Despite some short-term issues as fall out from the Covid-19 pandemic, we are in an industry which is booming. Overall, an- imal protein demand will keep on growing; animal vegetarian diets are the way forward and antibiotic use will come under increasing pressure. That also drives the need for alternative solutions for gut health development. That’s why Hamlet Protein has introduced a completely new range of fibre products and we expect to expand our market coverage in the coming years.” “We focus on a specific segment, the young animal. With our poultry product Avistart and the slightly less processed Avisure at a lower price point, we are all set for the future. Exceptionally good products that have been well received in the market. And with our recently launched Avisure we are specifically targeting the US broiler and turkey market.” “Longer term we want to invest in more capacity in China where our product is in high demand, and even more so since the Chi- nese legislators banned the use of AGPs. We have invested in peo- ple, production and processes. With global species experts and local resources in our target markets, we are closely following the industry trends and are well positioned to respond to the needs of our customers. Our species-specific insights, unparalleled research, experience and unique diet formulation knowledge has enabled us to evolve and expand from nutritional expertise to health expertise. With clear answers on how to promote gut health in young animals, Hamlet Protein will continue to grow as the partner of choice for technical buyers across the world. We make a difference right from the start – which is how we build long term partnerships.”
About Hamlet Protein
Hamlet Protein was established in 1989 in the rural town of Horsens. Its founder envisaged the development of a natural feed ingredient that would improve the health and wellbeing of young farm animals. In 1993 Hamlet entered the market with HP 100 and HP 300, for calf milk replacers and piglet weaning feed, respectively. HP 800 Booster for challenged pig- lets and HP AviStart for broilers, followed in 2011. More re- cently the company introduced new products FiberBoost and Avisure. Since 2015 the company has been owned by two pri- vate equity funds, Altor, and Goldman Sachs. With plants and labs in the US and Denmark and a sales office in China, Hamlet Protein services customers throughout the world.
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