Producers use a margin of safety because they are not confident about the nutrient content of feedstuffs they use in diet formulation. Accurate information about nutrients used in feed will enable producers to accurately formulate diets to meet the animals requirements, which will reduce emissions from livestock operations.

A feed database could also catalog anti-nutritional factors to avoid toxicity problems and ensure feed and food safety. The database could also improve national trade by providing accurate nutritional composition.

A dynamic, computerized feed database is needed because tables used in the past are static, are no longer accurate, and are not flexible enough for the feed industry of the 21^st century. Computerized databases that change as feed changes and allow the user to manipulate variables will make animal production more efficient and provide consumers with a safer and cost-effective product.

National Research Council. 1995. Building a North American Feed Information System. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.