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Our Commitment to Quality Assurance
At United Cooperative, we pride ourselves on service to our patrons. One aspect of this service is our commitment to quality assurance in the formulation, manufacture and delivery of feed products to our customers. We have established and continue to follow a testing and evaluation program to ensure all feeds sold match the formulation and nutrient specifications they were designed to meet.
Our program starts with the testing of all bulk feed ingredients, sampling them to see that they meet industry standards. We test ingredients for dry matter levels, crude protein levels, fat, fiber, major minerals and other key nutrient values. All data is documented and reviewed to ensure we are starting with only high-quality, nutritious feedstuffs. Every load of feed we receive is sampled, and every batch of feed we manufacture is sampled. These samples are then retained for testing and kept for up to 120 days.
Our trusted mill staff are trained to reject any load of incoming ingredient that fails visual inspection. They also have the authority to halt the manufacture and delivery process should any finished product not pass inspection. Our mills are regularly inspected and audited to guarantee that all Federal and State regulations are adhered to and that all of the feed we sell meets standards laid down by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), the governing body that institutes standards for the American feed industry. In accordance with the Food Safety Management Act (FSMA), we have employees who are certified in Food Safety Preventative Controls.
Once manufactured, finished feed products are subject to random sampling and testing by our mill staff. The samples are regularly compared to the targeted nutrition the feed is expected to provide. All results are documented, and any necessary adjustments are made to the manufacturing process.
Each of our feed mills does regular mixer evaluations to make sure the equipment is functioning and blending your finished feed to specification. In addition to lab tests for nutrient values, we also test for micron particle size to ensure grains are properly processed so they provide maximum performance on the farm. All major ingredients such as corn, distillers’ grains, wheat, etc., are also screened for molds and toxins to make sure they are clean and safe for animal consumption.
Our mills maintain records of each step of the feed manufacturing process from incoming grains and ingredients to the final delivery of finished feed - even documenting what products were hauled in the trucks prior to your feed being delivered. Records are kept on everything, from batch mixing time at the mill to the time the feed was delivered to your bin on the farm, and who delivered it.
As animal agriculture continues to push production and demand more productivity from our livestock, it is more important than ever that you depend on a partner who focuses on providing quality nutrition and feed products for your operation. We keep quality products and quality service at the forefront, so you can RELY ON US!
-Dan Jensema, Feed Sales and Marketing Manager