Chemical composition of copra, palm kernel, and cashew co-products from South-East Asia and almond hulls from Australia

Objective Oilseeds and nut co-products can be used as alternative feed ingredients in animal diets because they may have a lower cost than traditional ingredients. A study was, therefore, conducted to determine the chemical composition of copra, palm kernel, and nut co-products from South-East Asia or Australia. The hypothesis that country of production influences nutritional composition was tested. Methods Oilseed meals included 2 copra expellers, 3 copra meals, and 12 palm kernel expellers. One source of almond hulls and cashew nut meal were also used. Samples were obtained from suppliers located in South-East Asia or Australia. All samples were analyzed for dry matter, gross energy, nitrogen, amino acids (AA), acid-hydrolyzed ether extract (AEE), ash, minerals, insoluble dietary fiber, and soluble dietary fiber. Copra and nut co-products were also analyzed for total starch and sugars. Results Copra expellers had greater (p