The event, which this year's attendees defined as a great opportunity to get acquainted with animal feed, was established in 1980 as a week-long training program on feed ingredients for new employees and a refresher course for seasoned personnel. FII covers topics ranging from amino acids to feed formulation and feed safety programs to quality assurance.
FII class "professor," Leah Wilkinson, AFIA vice-president of legislative, regulatory and state affairs, encouraged attendee participation each of the four days with activities recapping the agenda topics.
"One of the most important aspects of FII is for attendees to network with other individuals in their field and create connections that will be beneficial throughout their careers," said Wilkinson.
Sarah Muirhead, Feedstuffs, covered the difference between genetically modified organisms and natural foods, and discussed consumer perspectives on the heavily debated topic of food labels.
Communicating with consumers can happen anywhere, whether it is with family, friends or during a trip to the farmers market, said Muirhead.
"95% of consumers make decisions based on taste, cost and nutrition," Muirhead explained to the audience.
Elanco Animal Health representative Bruce Hoffman explained during his presentation the responsible and ethical use of antibiotics in livestock and poultry production, stating "humans and pets use 10 times the amount of antibiotics than what is used in food animal production."
FII is hosted by AFIA's Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Committee and provides a forum for individuals new to the industry to network and learn about feed and ingredients first hand from highly qualified industry experts. Starting in 2018, AFIA's Nutrition Committee will resume the duties of hosting the historic event.
