With 3.7 million cattle, 11.1 million pigs, over 100 million chickens and a few million other farm animals, The Netherlands is more than self sufficient in it production of meat, milk and eggs. Since all these animals needed to be fed, this created a thriving compound feed industry.

Ottevanger Milling Engineers evolved from simple windmill repairs to full service turnkey operation in the animal feed and flour industry. In five years, with a bit of luck, the company will celebrate its 100^th anniversary. Their specialty is the containerised mill.

When it comes to affording extensive research projects and developing new products, the bigger the better, says Provimi's Hink Perdok. When Feed Tech visited the company's research farm near Zaltbommel in the Netherlands the breadth of the company's research and the cross-fertilisation of ideas between the livestock classes were both very much in evidence.

Research Diet Services, as the name implies, produces diets for research purposes. Two specialists, Gerard Beelen and Piet Roeleveld, took over the small TNO Nutrition feedmill and started their own successful business.

Assuming responsibility for humans and animals is a priority for A. Rieper AG in South Tyrol. The company's animal feed production plant is not only one of the world's most up-to-date facilities, it also boasts a hygiene standard which is unique worldwide.

This year Hungary will join the European Union and the agriculture sector must soon comply with EU standards. Abrazív Engineering Office and Machine Manufacturing is already preparing for an increasing market.

Together with the final phasing out of in-feed antibiotics comes a tightening up of the feed rules in general. In addition, the new feed additives legislation will ensure that only products with proven safety and efficacy can be placed on the market.

From feed ingredients to meat packing, CCL Research has a finer in every pie- almost literally in fact, as it is active in every part of the food chain, including meat processing.

It's "all change" with the EU's feed additives rules. But will the new, streamlined procedures really make the registration process more efficient?