Ricardo Ekmay, Ph.D.

Title

Animal nutrition director

Company

Arbiom

Presentation Description:

Protein from wood: nutritional, economical, safe and sustainable ingredient for performance dogs and cats – Ricardo Ekmay, Ph.D., animal nutrition director with Arbiom, presents data and analysis from material handling studies currently underway, notably on performance in extrusion conditions, as well as data on the nutritional performance of wood-derived SCP as a protein source in dog food. The focus of this presentation is to demonstrate the potential nutritional and technical benefits of enhanced torula yeast (Candida utilis) produced from wood as a protein-rich, AAFCO-approved protein ingredient for dog and cat foods. The presentation will provide an introduction to a novel protein-rich ingredient produced from wood, including preliminary research and data from material handling studies and dog trials in 2019.

Experience:

Ekmay has expertise in animal nutrition and new product development. Prior to his time at Arbiom, Ekmay spent several years with Dow AgroSciences, garnering experience in product development, regulatory affairs and science policy advocacy with the commercialization of ProPound canola and Enlist soy/corn/cotton, among others. Ekmay received his bachelor’s degree in animal science from Cornell University and his master’s and doctorate degrees in poultry science from the University of Arkansas. Ekmay returned to Cornell for completion of his postdoctoral studies. Ekmay has broad expertise in all facets of animal nutrition, including both monogastric and ruminant animals, and has a strong passion for feed ingredient development and food systems. He is a member of the Poultry Science Association, American Society of Animal Science and American Society for Nutrition where he serves as the industry representative to the Animal Nutrition Research Interest Group. His expertise has been sought after for task forces and working groups within Crop Life International and the International Life Science Institute. He also devotes his time to community outreach and the promotion of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, especially in the Hispanic-Latin community.