Lessons Learned for Emergency Feeding During Modifications to 11 School Feeding Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: School feeding programs (SFPs) can play a crucial role in the emergency food and nutrition response, but there is a dearth of information on how SFPs operate during emergencies. Design and Methods: A rapid comparative assessment of 11 SFPs throughout Latin America and the Caribbean during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from (1) systematic document search and (2) surveys with key informants (n = 23) about barriers/facilitators to modifications were systematically analyzed using a multiple case study approach. Results: During the pandemic, all SFPs continued (although continuation plans varied from a few days in Chile to >1 month in Puerto Rico) via food kits, food vouchers, and/or grab n’ go meals. The SFP implementation was highly dependent on the programs’ autonomy and financial support, which impacted their logistics to acquire and distribute foods during the pandemic. The types of foods offered in some SFPs suggest that established nutritional guidelines were not always followed. Key informants expressed concerns about the deterioration of the nutritional quality of foods offered during the pandemic and lack of community engagement that impeded distribution to the neediest. Conclusions: Results underscore the urgency for clear implementation guidance on how to modify SFP during emergencies. Public health implications include (1) allocation of autonomous resources to an intersectoral working group to safeguard nutritional benefits during emergencies, (2) strengthening efforts of SFP community engagement before and during emergencies, and (3) establishing guidelines of the types of foods that can be distributed to meet the nutritional needs of beneficiaries during emergencies.

The effects of precisely meeting estimated daily energy and lysine requirements for gestating sows over three consecutive pregnancies on sow reproductive and lactation performance

The objective of the current study was to determine effects of precisely meeting estimated daily energy and Lys requirements for gestating sows over three consecutive pregnancies on sow reproductive and lactation performance. A total of 105 sows (initial reproductive cycle 1.4±0.5) were randomly assigned to a precision (PF; n=50) or control (CON; n=55) feeding program between d 2 and 9 of gestation and housed in group-pens equipped with electronic sow feeders capable of blending two diets. The PF sows received unique daily blends of two isocaloric diets [2518 kcal/kg NE; 0.80 and 0.20% standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys, respectively] while CON sows received a static blend throughout gestation to achieve 0.56% SID Lys. After weaning, sows were re-bred and entered the same feeding program as in the previous pregnancy for two subsequent pregnancy cycles (PF: n=36; CON: n=37; average reproductive cycle: 2.4±0.5; PF: n=25; CON: n=24; average reproductive cycle: 3.5±0.5). Sows on the PF program received 97, 105, and 118 % (average over three pregnancy cycles) of dietary energy and 67, 79, and 106 % of SID Lys intakes compared to CON between d 5 and 37, 38 and 72, and 73 and 108 of gestation, respectively. Estimated N (26.1 %) retention did not differ between gestation feeding programs in any pregnancy, but excess N excretion was less (1617 vs. 1750 ± 54 g/sow; P < 0.01) for PF versus CON sows. Regardless of pregnancy cycle, sows that received the PF program had greater ADG between d 38 and 72 (614 vs. 518 ± 63 g/d; P < 0.05) and between d 73 and 108 (719 vs. 618 ± 94 g/d; P = 0.063) of gestation, and greater loin depth gain between d 63 and 110 of gestation (0.7 vs. -1.1 ± 1.6 mm; P < 0.05), but BW (235.1 kg) and backfat (17.8 mm) and loin (70.5 mm) depths on d 110 of gestation did not differ. The number of piglets born alive, stillborn, and mummified, and litter birth weight (16.5 kg) did not differ in any pregnancy cycle, nor did piglet ADG during lactation (250 g/d) and piglet BW (6.7 kg) at weaning. Sows that received the PF program during gestation had lower ADFI during lactation (5.7 vs. 6.2 ± 0.2 kg; P < 0.01). Therefore, using feeding programs that precisely match estimated daily energy and Lys requirements for gestating sows provides the opportunity to reduce N losses to the environment and reduce lactation feed usage, without negatively affecting sow reproductive and lactation performance.

The Impact of Genotype and Age on Energy and Protein Utilization in Individually Housed Brown Laying Hens

Responses to dietary energy and protein levels were compared between two egg-laying genotypes. Individually housed hens of a historic strain (HS) and a modern strain (MS) were compared. In Experiment 1 (Exp.1), four levels of true metabolizable energy, corrected for zero nitrogen retention (TMEn) and four levels of total lysine, were offered from 30 to 40 weeks of age. In Experiment 2 (Exp.2), three levels of apparent metabolizable energy, corrected for zero nitrogen retention (AMEn) and four levels of standardized ileal digestible lysine (SID Lys), were fed from 20 to 30 weeks of age. A randomized factorial block design (4 × 4 Exp.1 and 3 × 4 Exp.2) was applied. Energy utilization for egg output (EO) did not differ (NS), and both strains maintained a constant kJ intake (NS). The efficiency of SID Lys utilization for EO differed, with the MS being the more efficient (p < 0.034). A single model could be used to predict feed intake, using BW, EO, AMEn and SID Lys (r = 0.716). In conclusion, it is unlikely that the requirements of modern layer strains have increased. However, feeding programs should be adjusted for economic reasons and are dependent upon achievable feed intake under particular circumstances.

Causes, characteristics, and patterns of prolonged unplanned school closures prior to the COVID-19 pandemic – United States, 2011 – 2019

Introduction Outside of pandemics, there is little information about occurrence of prolonged unplanned K-12 school closures (PUSC). We describe here the reasons, characteristics, and patterns of PUSC in the United States during 8 consecutive inter-pandemic academic years, 2011–2019. Methods From August 1, 2011 through June 30, 2019, daily systematic online searches were conducted to collect data on publicly announced unplanned school closures lasting ≥1 school days in the United States. Closures were categorized as prolonged when schools were closed for ≥5 unplanned days (approximating one full workweek), excluding weekends and scheduled days off per school calendars. Results During the eight academic years, a total of 21,725 PUSCs were identified, affecting over 800,000 teachers and 13 million students that resulted in 89.9 million student-days lost. A median of 62.9% of students in PUSC-affected schools were eligible for subsidized school meals. Most affected schools were in cities (35%) and suburban areas (34%). Natural disasters (48%), adverse weather conditions (35%), and budget/teacher strikes (15%) were the most frequently cited reasons for PUSC; illness accounted for 1%, and building/facility issues, environmental issues and violence together accounted for the remaining 3%. The highest number of PUSCs occurred in Health and Human Services Regions 2, 3, 4, and 6 encompassing areas that are frequently in the path of hurricanes and tropical storms. The majority of PUSCs in these regions were attributed to a handful of hurricanes during the fall season, including hurricanes Sandy, Irma, Harvey, Florence, and Matthew. Conclusions PUSCs occur annually in the United States due to a variety of causes and are associated with a substantive loss of student-days for in-school learning. Both these prior experiences with PUSCs and those during the current COVID-19 pandemic illustrate a need for creating sustainable solutions for high-quality distance learning and innovative supplemental feeding programs nationwide, especially in disaster-prone areas.

That Pop-Up Restaurant: Innovation in a Summer Feeding Program

Objective: That Pop-Up Restaurant Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) was a federally reimbursed program that first served healthy meals to families in a rural Kansas community during the summer of 2017. The program aimed to empower communities to address child hunger by reducing stigma concerning food assistance and providing high-quality, nutritious meals to families. This pilot was developed to increase low utilization rates of summer feeding programs. Methods: An ecological approach was implemented to engage students and families. Program innovations included an open menu ordering format with paid adult meals and proper food storage while maintaining USDA’s nutritional requirements. Additionally, the menu options exceeded fruit and vegetable requirements. Results: On average, 9.6% of youth who participated in the free and reduced-price lunch programs participated daily in summer nutrition during the 2016-2017 school year (FRAC, 2019). Comparatively, That Pop-Up Restaurant’s pilot had over 25% of eligible youth participate in the program one or more times. Conclusions: That Pop-Up Restaurant summer food service program showed promising results for the target population and program developers aim to replicate the program in various communities.

Acceptability of cookies substituted with mocaf flour and varied with red bean flour and herbal chicken gizzard

Acceptability is an important factor in the success of additional feeding programs in the form of cookies in malnourished toddlers. The purpose of this study was to find out the acceptability of cookies that are substituted with mocaf flour, and varied with red bean flour, and herbal chicken gizzard. This experimental study was conducted using a completely randomized design using 3 factors and 3 treatments (C1, C2 and C3), namely each treatment used the same amount of mocaf flour, namely 120 g, red bean flour each 110 g, 100 g, 90 g and herbal chicken gizzard 20 g, 30 g and 40 g. Acceptance test was conducted on 30 toddlers aged 2-5 years in the Medan Tuntungan Health Center Work Area. The data were analyzed using the Krusskal-Wallis test and continued with the Mann-Whitney test. Based on the results of data analysis, it shows that organoleptic assessment based on flavour, color, taste, texture and form of treatment C1 is classified as favorable, while treatment C2 and C3 is classified as less favorable. The results of the Krusskal Wallis test proved that there were differences between the three cookie treatments (p< 0.05), and the Mann-Whitney test results showed that the C1-treated cookies were significantly different from the C2 and C3 treatments (p<0.05). In conclusion, cookies with mocaf flour substitution (120g) which were varied with more red bean flour (110g) and less gizzard (20g) had the best acceptability, so that it can be used as an additional food for the improvement of nutrition of toddlers with less nutrition.

β-Mannanase Supplementation as an Eco-Friendly Feed Strategy to Reduce the Environmental Impacts of Pig and Poultry Feeding Programs

Little is still known about the environmental impacts of exogenous enzyme supplementation in pig and poultry feeding programs. Thus, this study aimed to assess the potential environmental impacts of producing feeds for pigs and broilers by simulating the effects of β-mannanase Hemicell™ HT supplementation through energy savings during diet formulation. Life-cycle assessment standards were applied to simulate a cradle-to-feed mill gate scope. The functional units used were the production of 1 kg of the enzyme and 1 kg of feed at a feed mill gate located in Concórdia, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Climate change, eutrophication, and acidification were the chosen environmental impact categories. Energy savings through β-mannanase supplementation were assessed by different metabolizable energy (ME) matrices (45 or 90 kcal of ME/kg of feed) during diet formulation in different grain production scenarios (Southern and/or Central-West origin). A total of 28 feeds were formulated based on the nutritional requirements and feeding programs described in the Brazilian Tables for Poultry and Swine. The least-cost formulation method was used based on real price averages practiced in a local industry over 12 months. The production of 1 kg of β-mannanase was associated with the emission of 1,800 g of CO2-eq, 4.53 g of PO4-eq, and 7.89 g of SO2-eq. For pig feeds, β-mannanase supplementation mitigated both climate change and eutrophication impacts up to 8.5 and 1.4% (45 kcal of ME/kg of feed) or up to 16.2 and 2.7% (90 kcal of ME/kg of feed) compared to control diets formulated without the enzyme. For broiler feeds, these impacts were mitigated up to 5.6 and 1.1% (45 kcal of ME/kg of feed), respectively. On the other hand, the effect of using β-mannanase on the acidification impact was not consistent among feeds/species. Overall, β-mannanase supplementation reduced the amount of soybean oil in feed formulas, which is associated with high environmental impacts. Consequently, the potential impacts of climate change and eutrophication associated with producing feeds for pigs and broilers were substantially mitigated. These results suggest that β-mannanase supplementation is an eco-friendly feed strategy to reduce the environmental impacts of pig and poultry feeding programs.

482 Awardee Talk: Challenges and Opportunities Facing Mineral Nutrition in the Next Decade

The science associated with mineral nutrition is evolving at an accelerated pace. Some topics of investigation have persisted for decades; typical examples include clarification of mineral requirements, evaluation of mineral sources, definition of mineral bioavailability and physiological and metabolic interactions among minerals, to name a few. The fact that these topics have endured for so long serves to illustrate their importance to our craft, as well as the increasing sophistication of the science available to delve more deeply into our understanding of mineral nutrition. Newer topics that involve minerals directly and/or indirectly are attracting increasing attention – and for good reason. As one example, there is a growing body of data pointing to oxidative stress as a relevant issue in modern pork production. As another, the interaction of minerals with fiber has received considerable interest in the past, but recently, the topic has been further elevated by health and environmental concerns. While the above might be considered typical classical nutrition topics, mineral nutrition can also be viewed in a more holistic manner. To what extent is mineral nutrition involved in the observed increase in sow mortality in the past decade? How can and should mineral nutrition be included in precision feeding programs? What further roles of mineral nutrition might be involved in environmental sustainability? Where do we stand on the involvement of mineral nutrition in acid-base balance and does it have greater value in production today than previously considered? This presentation will consider current examples of how mineral nutrition impacts applied swine nutrition as well as overall pork production.

231 Applications of Insect-derived Ingredients in Animal Diets

Insects have applications in many animal feeding programs for several reasons. First, increased emphasis on sustainable ingredients supports the use of insect-derived ingredients since insects have the capacity to sustainably re-purpose waste streams from food and feed production into nutrient dense ingredients. Second, many animals would naturally consume insects, thus incorporation into feeding programs may enhance animal welfare. Third, nutrient composition and availability is generally very high for insect-derived ingredients relative to requirements and formulae needs, although this varies with insect species, stage of development, feedstock on which they are raised and processing method. In addition to the essential nutrients that can be provided by feeding insect-derived ingredients, components including chitin and proteins and fatty acids with anti-microbial activity provide additional application in animal feeding programs. These concepts will be discussed relative to current knowledge about the primary insect species being reared at commercial scale: house crickets (Acheta domesticus), yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor), and black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens).