Associated British Nutrition
Associated British Nutrition (ABN) is a subsidiary of Associated British Foods Plc (ABF). It is the third largest animal feed manufacturer in the UK and one of the biggest users of genetically modified (GM) crops in the country. The company uses unsegregated (mixed GM and non-GM) soya and maize in many of its animal feed products.
Contact Details
- Address: ABN House, Oundle Road, Woodston, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE2 9QS
- Tel 01733 555552
People
Subsidiaries
By far the largest of ABN's animal feeds businesses.
Specialises in Molassed Sugar Beet Feed and feed made from the by-products of distillers (spirits manufacturers).
A large feed manufacturer in Northern Ireland.
This company analyses the feed of ABN's feed businesses. They receive end products and raw materials which they analyse for nutritional content and 'undesirables' such as pesticide residue.
- Farming Supplies (Maldon)
The company only produces feed for sheep and cattle. It doesn't use any antibiotics or growth promoters in its products. The company is in the process of converting to organic.
Involved in alternative feeding systems, selling a range of feeds.
Manufacturer of horse, pet and speciality feeds.
- ABN Huinong Feed Company This is the fifth largest animal feed
manufacturer in China.
Through pressure from activists, campaigners and consumers, human food manufacturers have been forced to use only identity preserved (non-GM) ingredients. There is currently very little incentive for ABN to follow their example.
ABN produces most of its animal feed through a subsidiary of the company called J. Bibby Agriculture.
As well as manufacturing animal feed, ABN are involved in the management of various livestock schemes and the merchandising of agricultural products. [4].
ABN is a member of the United Kingdom Agricultural Supply Trade Association (UKASTA) (for more on UKASTA see briefing ‘Introduction and Strategic Overview’, details back page). Its representative there is Dr Helen Raine, ABN Technical Director (see 'Other Key People' below).
Earlier this year the company ran a free school milk competition with 14 dairies and the Express newspaper. The prize for the 14 lucky winning schools was free milk for the rest of the year. The aim of the competition was to encourage young children to drink milk as, according to ABN 's Rory McKibbin, research has shown that a lifetime's drinking habits are established by the age of 12 [5].
J. Bibby has several livestock research projects around the country. Some of these are at institutions that will be familiar to many anti-GE campaigners. This is not a comprehensive list.
Rowett Research Institute Scottish Agricultural College, Edinburgh and Auchincruive Newcastle University ADAS Feed Evaluation Unit ADAS Dairy Research Centre ABN Pig and Poultry Research Unit
Who owns ABN?
ABN is wholly owned by Associated British Foods PLC (ABF). ABF is wholly owned by Wittington Investments Ltd [2].
ABF PLC 68 Knightsbridge, London SW1. Tel 0171 589 6363 Fax 0171 584 8560
Wittington Investments Weston Centre, Bowater House, London, SW1X 7LQ. Tel 0171 589 6363
Managing Director - Alan Murphy
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ABN’s position on GM
ABN doesn't have a position statement on the use of GM ingredients. However, according to Dr Michael Marsden (see 'Other Key People' this page) the majority of ABN's products do contain GM material. He says that there isn't currently sufficient demand for non-GM animal feed to warrant ABN producing more than niche quantities. This is done on an ad hoc basis when a customer demands it, though even then ABN will only supply it if it is economically viable. Like many others in the industry, he believes that it would be relatively easy to produce dairy and sheep feed without GM crop ingredients because soya and maize can be excluded. However, this still leaves the issue of GM micro ingredients unresolved, (see 'Introduction and Strategic Overview' briefing).
Dr Marsden claims that it would be difficult to produce pig and poultry feeds without using soya and as identity preserved (segregated non-GM) is currently much more expensive than unsegregated soya. Since the end product would be more expensive, this would be unpopular with farmers, he says. He goes on to state that it is also currently difficult to obtain large quantities of IP soya, though this may become easier in the future.
Companies in the US have recently announced that they are going to segregate maize because some varieties grown in the US have not been approved in Europe [12] and farmers are being urged to consider growing non-GM varieties by the American Corn Growers Association [13]. With pressure from Europe, soya growers may follow suit.
Dr Marsden also stressed that there is a risk of cross-contamination throughout the supply chain and that there is a need for a legally defined threshold (acceptable level of GM contamination). This effectively means that they want a legal definition of GM free that allows them to continue to include some GM ingredients!
Some of J. Bibby's Products
Feed for dairy cattle - Diamond Grasslink. Supreme Grasslink. Supreme Gold (high levels of maize). Graslink Gold, Plus and 16 Diamond Dairy 20. Supreme Dairy 20. Super Magnum. Dairy Extra 18. Magnum Plus 18. Premium Dairy 16 Feed for beef cattle- Primestock range Pig feed - Primary Range, Pioneer Range and Sow Feed (Drysow Plus, Supersow and Superlac) Sheep - Prime Breeder 22 Cake. Super Sheep Cake. Premium Ewe 18 cake/nuggets. Various lamb pellets. Diamond Sheep Breeder 34. Super Sheep Cake and Intensive Lamb Pellets.
J. Bibby and BSE
J. Bibby are giving evidence to the BSE inquiry. The company has admitted that it produced cattle feed containing meat and bone meal from other cattle. This is thought to be the mechanism by which BSE was transmitted through herds - and thence to humans. Dr Helen Raine and Dr Michael Marsden (see ‘Other Key People’) are giving evidence on the company’s behalf [14].
Financial Details Turnover £256.2m. Pre-Tax Profit £8.2m. Year to September 1997 [1]
Number of Employees 896 in September 1997 [6]
Key Personnel - Directors Peter Jackson David Langlands Alan Murphy Dr Helen Raine John Shirbon David Yiend [7]
Other Key People As well as being a director, Dr Helen Raine is ABN's Technical Director. She is a member of the United Kingdom Agricultural Supply Trade Association's National Executive Committee and is Chairman of its Feed Executive Committee.
She is also a member of the new Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs which was set up by MAFF to examine the safety and use of animal feed. It "will review the implications of new developments, particularly the use of GM materials." It will also provide ‘independent’ advice to the Food Standards Agency and Agriculture Ministers in the government [8].
In addition she has given evidence on behalf of J. Bibby Agriculture to the BSE enquiry [9].
Dr Michael Marsden is Research and Technical Manager of ABN. He is responsible for the specifications of all ruminant (cattle and sheep) feeds and is also giving evidence on behalf of J. Bibby to the BSE inquiry [9]. He also chairs the UKASTA scientific committee [10]. This is part of UKASTA's animal feed sector and is responsible for, among other things, lobbying government on environmental issues which effect its members [11].
Footnotes
1. Key Notes Report. Animal Feedingstuffs 1999. Key Note Ltd 2. Who Owns Whom 1999. Dun and Bradstreet 3. Hoover's Company Profiles September 1999 4. ABF website. www.abf.co.uk/trading.html 5. Farming News 05/03/1999 P11 6. Key British Enterprises 1999. Dun and Bradstreet 7. Companies House Information Centre 8. Hermes - UK Government Press Releases 13/07/1999 9. Hermes - UK Government Press Releases 01/10/98 10. Conversation with Michael Marsden August 1999 11. UKASTA website. www.ukasta.org.uk 12. Financial Times 11 September 1999 p13. 'Cold comfort from crop segregation' 13. Los Angeles Times 5 October 1999 14. www.bse.org.uk/witness/htm/stat154.htm. The BSE Inquiry Statement No 154. Dr Raine gave evidence on days 17 and 61, Dr Marsden on day 61.
