Theme 1 – Nutrients as Metabolic Regulators

 This theme explores how nutrients influence metabolic processes, which are often essential for the health and welfare of farm animals. The focus is on the role of amino acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates.
An example of a nutrient in metabolic process is arginine: in addition to being an essential building block for animal protein, arginine also affects blood circulation, including the formation of new blood vessels and stimulation of blood flow. The impact of specific nutrients on animal behaviour is becoming increasingly important to reduce feather picking or tail biting in pigs as tail docking is no longer permitted. 

During the last years new information has been published about the impact of amino acids during the transition period on the liver function, immunity and fertility in dairy cows. Also, the role of linolic acid in dairy cow metabolism will be highlighted.  

Theme 2 – Product Quality: Milk, Eggs & Meat

This theme focuses on the quality of the end product in different sectors: milk, eggs, and meat. Topics include nutrient composition, food safety, sensory quality, processing characteristics, animal-related factors (such as genetics and age), and cultural differences. The role of nutrition in product quality is highlighted—for example, a high proportion of intramuscular fat is preferred for the Asian market, while in Germany, eggs with dark orange yolk sell best. Feeding specific nutrients will result in targeted quality of the end product.