As we close out 2025, the feed industry has navigated another year of transformation — from regulatory shifts and genetic advancements to breakthrough technologies that are reshaping how we approach animal nutrition. Our readers turned to Feed Strategy for insights on the challenges and opportunities defining modern feed manufacturing, and the articles that resonated most reveal where the industry's attention and innovation has been focused.
This year's most-read stories reflect the sector's evolving priorities: the continued transition away from antibiotics, the search for sustainable protein alternatives, and the adoption of precision technologies that promise to make production more efficient and resilient. From reconsidering long-held assumptions about mineral deficiencies to exploring how blood biomarkers can revolutionize mycotoxin detection, these articles challenged conventional thinking and offered practical solutions for real-world application.
The top 10 articles of 2025 represent more than just popular topics, they capture the critical conversations happening in feed mills, research labs, and production facilities around the world. Whether you're formulating for extended layer cycles, managing piglet nutrition across different regulatory environments, or evaluating the next generation of gut health solutions, these stories provided the insights that helped nutritionists, formulators, and producers make informed decisions in an increasingly complex landscape.
Here are the articles that defined Feed Strategy's coverage in 2025:
2025 World's Top Feed Companies: 146 global feed manufacturers hit or exceed 1 million metric tons
The global animal feed industry reached new heights in 2024, with 146 companies worldwide producing at least 1 million metric tons of compound feed, according to the 2025 edition of the World’s Top Feed Companies report. Feed Strategy editor-in-chief Jackie Roembke presents the annual ranking, compiled by WATT Global Media's research team from the Top Feed Companies database, capturing the scale and concentration of feed manufacturing across the globe. The findings highlight the industry's continued growth and the dominance of large-scale producers in meeting global livestock nutrition demands.
Is it possible to formulate animal feed without soybean meal?
Formulating animal feed without soybean meal is feasible but challenging, reports nutrition editor Ioannis Mavromichalis. While soybean meal offers exceptional protein content, digestibility, and amino acid balance, alternatives like canola meal, sunflower meal, pea protein, corn gluten meal, and processed animal proteins exist. Each has limitations including nutritional imbalances, anti-nutritional factors, and variable availability. Successful implementation requires blending multiple protein sources, supplementing synthetic amino acids, improving ingredient processing, and precision nutrition. EU sustainability initiatives and regulatory pressures are driving this transition, though maintaining animal performance and economic viability remains crucial for widespread adoption.
Blood testing: a breakthrough in mycotoxin management
Traditional mycotoxin management relies on feed sampling, but over 75% of estimation error stems from sampling alone due to uneven toxin distribution and masked forms. Ioannis Mavromichalis examines how blood biomonitoring using LC-MS/MS technology offers a paradigm shift by detecting metabolites directly in animals, revealing actual exposure rather than potential contamination. Studies show feed analysis alone misses 82% of exposures. This method identifies 36 mycotoxins including emerging threats like enniatins and beauvericin, enables real-time monitoring of detoxifier efficacy, and provides evidence-based decision-making through minimally invasive FTA card sampling across multiple species.
Top 5 feed products showcased at SPACE 2025
Feed Strategy's Jackie Roembke attended the 39th edition of SPACE, held September 16-19 in Rennes, located in France's Brittany region. One of the main highlights of the annual exhibition is the Innov'SPACE award competition. The 30th edition of the honor showcases innovation across all livestock sectors in France and beyond. In 2025, 43 products and services were recognized based on their demonstration of "vitality, creativity and commitment to meet the challenges of farming with ingenuity." This roundup features the five winning products in the feed category.
New theory on milk fever in cows may also benefit human health
Senior reporter Ann Reus connected with University of Alberta researcher Burim Ametaj, who challenges the traditional view of milk fever as simple calcium deficiency, proposing the "Calci-Inflammatory Network" theory. His team discovered inflammation precedes calcium drops by up to 11 weeks before clinical milk fever, suggesting the body intentionally lowers calcium to regulate immune responses. This paradigm shift could enable precision treatments aligned with immune state and genetics. The concept extends to human health, where hypocalcemia in critically ill patients may represent adaptive immune regulation rather than pathology, potentially reshaping treatment approaches for inflammation-driven diseases across species.
5 trends reshaping poultry nutrition
The poultry industry is transforming with 92% of operations adopting antibiotic-free production. Producers are embracing advanced gut health solutions including heat-resistant spore-forming probiotics like marine-derived Bacillus pumilus, stable postbiotics from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and precision biotics using engineered glycans to target specific microbial pathways, Ann Reus reports. Research reveals early-life microbiome intervention accelerates maturation and improves flock performance. These innovations deliver sustainability benefits through improved feed conversion, reduced nutrient excretion, and lower mortality while maintaining productivity, proving antibiotic-free production can be both profitable and environmentally responsible.
Issues faced by piglet nutritionists in the EU vs. US
Ioannis Marvomichalis highlights how EU and US piglet nutritionists face distinct challenges shaped by regulatory differences. The EU navigates strict antibiotic bans, mandatory higher weaning ages (28 days), sustainability-driven soy reduction, stringent mycotoxin limits, and carbon footprint regulations, increasing feed costs and complexity. The US continues earlier weaning (21 days), maintains antibiotic access under veterinary oversight, relies on domestic soy and grains with lower costs, and faces less regulatory pressure but growing consumer demands for antibiotic-free production. Both regions struggle with labor shortages, driving precision feeding and automation investments, though regulatory versus market forces differ significantly.
Pre-, probiotics aid transition away from antibiotics use
Feed additive producers are developing probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics to support antibiotic-free poultry production as 92% of operations report some ABF implementation. These additives promote gut health, strengthen immunity, and improve performance by modulating the microbiome rather than directly replacing antibiotics. Postbiotics offer stability advantages during feed processing, while spore-forming Bacillus strains withstand pelleting heat. Beyond animal health, these solutions enhance sustainability through improved feed efficiency, reduced antibiotic use, and lower environmental impact from decreased nutrient excretion, supporting both economic and environmental goals, Ann Reus reports.
Why lysine building matters for modern layers
Modern layer genetics enable production cycles exceeding 100 weeks without molting, but outdated three-phase nutrition models often persist, according to Trouw Nutrition's global applied poultry nutritionist Saritha Saraswathy. "Lysine building" — increasing dietary lysine from day one and maintaining elevated levels past 40 weeks — addresses modern birds' extended nutritional needs for eggshell quality, tissue regeneration, and immunity. Unlike older genetics requiring lysine reduction after 40 weeks, contemporary layers need sustained supplementation as they reach higher peaks earlier and maintain production longer. Implementing updated feeding programs also requires adjusting vitamins, calcium, trace minerals, and farm management practices to support extended laying cycles.
Are phages ready to emerge from their 'disillusionment' phase?
The phage industry faces a "trough of disillusionment" after initial hype, with reduced investor interest and startup closures, reports contributing editor Emma Penrod. However, companies like Phagelux are successfully commercializing phage products in agriculture, particularly in China where regulatory acceptance is stronger. Key challenges include manufacturing scalability, delivery methods, and cost-effectiveness rather than phage discovery itself. Marketing phages as performance-enhancing feed additives proves more effective than positioning them solely as antibiotic replacements. Researchers anticipate bioengineered second-generation phages, though natural phage products for common pathogens could achieve widespread approval within five to 10 years.
