Formulator
A formulator of animal feed formulates various feed formulas for the daily diets of specific types of animals. Formulators combine their knowledge of nutrition, feed ingredient characteristics and feed production technologies to create improved dietary products for animals. Formulators also ensure that all feeds created are developed within processing and budgetary requirements.
What Responsibilities Will I Have?
- Develop, optimize and reformulate animal feed including soft chews, powders and pellets
- Perform research studies on the efficacy and benefits of formulations
- Build new and maintain existing diets for animals within the formulation guidelines
- Work closely with marketing and sales teams to evaluate client needs and project success
- Identify and evaluate new technologies that enhance current products
- Meet with clients to identify their needs
- Review and optimize existing processes
- Assist in sourcing ingredients for food production
- Coordinate studies to ensure optimal taste of products
- Meet and correspond with customers and suppliers
- Keep time schedules for submissions to customers, formula evaluation, pilot schedule, stability, safety testing, etc.
- Ensure that all company product and testing requirements are met
- Work with operations to transition formula from lab-scale batches to full-scale production
- Utilize the least-cost formulation of feed formulations
- Capture formulation cost-saving metrics
- Produce feed nutritional labels
- Present technical data to external scientific, veterinary and business audiences
- Keep up to date with industry trends by networking with the technical community and attending meetings and conventions
Recommended High School Courses:
- agricultural education
- animal science
- plant science
- family and consumer sciences
- chemistry
- mathematics
Education/Training Required:
Animal feed formulators typically have a bachelor’s degree in nutrition, animal nutrition, food science, animal science, agricultural science or a related field. Having working knowledge and practical experience of farming and livestock practices is preferred.
