During International Day for Women and Girls in Science, we’re talking to some of the inspiring women scientists who are making their marks at Nutreco. Stephanie Torrey works at Trouw Nutrition Canada. She tells us about how her love of animals opened up more fields of study than she could have imagined as a young girl – and how, as a scientist in animal nutrition industry, she is fulfilling her desire to make a difference in the world.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your role in Nutreco
I’m Stephanie Torrey, Research Manager for the Validation Team with Trouw Nutrition Canada. I’m an Animal Scientist by training with expertise in applied farm animal behaviour and welfare. I joined Trouw Nutrition in 2021 after 15 years working in the public sector.
 
What inspired you to pursue a career in science?
Like many, many children, I loved animals and thought the only career choice was veterinary medicine. During my Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, I discovered the myriad fields that involve animals, and during my Master of Science degree in Animal Science, I fell in love with research. As one does when they love research, I continued my training with a PhD in Applied Animal Behaviour. I have always worked on applied research areas because, while I am inquisitive, it was critical to me that my research matter. So, at the end of the day, I pursued a career in science to leave the world in a better place than when I arrived. 

Can you share a moment in your career that made you feel especially proud?
While I was in the public sector, I advised graduate and undergraduate students and post-doctoral fellows. I am particularly proud of seeing my team members learn to love science and discovery and convert that passion into a career in science. I am also proud of the research I have led that has resulted in positive changes to either policies and procedures or common practices. 
How do you hope your work will influence the scientific community and the animal protein production in the future?
I hope that my work leaves a lasting effect on the way we raise animals, resulting in not only improved efficiency but, more importantly, improved health and welfare of the animals we raise.

Can you share a fun or surprising fact about your research or field of expertise?
In the field of applied animal behaviour, we often design studies asking the animals to tell us what is important to them. For novel ingredients or feeding programs, studies can involve a maze in which an animal needs to choose what feed they prefer on any given day or indicate the strength of that preference. 

In one study with chickens, we used a test called the “push door test.” The chickens were trained to walk through a weighted door to get access to one of the two ingredients. We progressively added weight to the doors so that the hens had to push harder and harder to get access to their preferred feed. This helped us to find out how important their choice is to them. 

To put this in human terms, I may choose a chocolate dessert over a lemon one, but I won’t throw away the lemon one if it’s the only one available. However, between a chocolate dessert and dog food, I will work hard to get that chocolate, and my welfare and productivity would suffer if I had to eat dog food!