By Madelyn Ostendorf
Students in TSM 4570: Feed Safety, Ingredient Quality and Analytics have the unique opportunity to put on the hard hats of feed technicians and experience the ins and outs of commercial feed production at the Iowa State University Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex.
Gretchen Mosher, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering and instructor of TSM 4570, said the class offers students the chance to put their textbook skills to the test. Students spend about half their week in a classroom, learning about the science behind feed ingredient quality tests, mill set-ups and other incident trainings. The other half of the week is spent in what is considered a practical lab at the feed mill and grain science complex, conducting tests, recording the outcomes and making adjustment recommendations based on what they find.
“This class looks at how we manage the quality of the feed, starting at the basic ingredients,” Mosher said. “We evaluate factors that influence the ingredient quality, the nutrient levels that each ingredient brings to the feed, and consider how we think about ensuring the appropriate nutrients are present at the appropriate ratio in the feed.”
In the lab, students break down feed into its most basic components, then work with those components to learn to evaluate each for quality control. Students employ both destructive and non-destructive evaluation means. Some tests, like mycotoxin testing, render the ingredients unable to be returned to the main feed supply. Other tests, like calculating ratios of crop protein or oil, cause no harm, and all the ingredients are added back to the feed.
“This class also transformed the way I think about feed and grain systems. The integration of science, engineering, and regulation—especially through topics like FSMA compliance, mycotoxin testing, and statistical process control—was both rigorous and eye-opening.” said Yan Jiang, a graduate student in agriculture and biosystems engineering. “The hands-on labs brought these concepts to life and helped build my confidence in applying technical knowledge to real-world industry challenges.”
In addition to the science of ingredient quality, the class dives into case studies and simulated scenarios. Mosher brings in contaminated products not produced at Iowa State’s facility, challenging students to discover the problem and determine how to handle it.
To round out the process, Mosher ensures all the students can create a food safety plan, something required of all feed processing facilities, that lays out a strategy for documenting potential hazards and how to address them, including recalls.
“I was able to experience the real problems that a grain processing facility may face when it comes to hazard analysis,” said Sam Martin, a senior in animal science. “These are critical problems that ensure the safe manufacturing and handling of feed products to protect our supply chains. Going into the animal health and nutrition field post-grad, I will use this information to highlight supply chain problems and solutions.”
Students have the opportunity to conduct hands-on simulations of feed quality testing, apply statistical processes and talk through what they would do in recall situations.
“I always tell students that I hope that they will never have to go through a recall, but the odds are they probably will,” Mosher said. “I’d rather their first time be in a classroom where they can learn from their failure.”
As part of the class, students become Preventive Controls Qualified Individuals for animal feed production. This qualification acknowledges the individual has met minimum Food and Drug Administration requirements to ensure safe manufacturing, processing, packing and holding of food products for animal consumption in the United States.
“This qualification is becoming increasingly common among people who hire feed managers in feed mills and other facilities where they make animal food,” Mosher said. “These students will be considered qualified individuals for processing animal foods at a feed mill, and PCQI training helps prepare them to make the decision necessary to preserve the safety and quality of the animal feed.”