How To Ensure Stable Feed Quality In Summer?
Feed moldy and oxidation are two common problems in the feed industry. Feed deterioration not only reduces the nutrient content of the feed, but also produces toxic and harmful substances, which affect the feeding of animals, bring diseases and many other hazards, and reduce animal production performance because of feed deterioration. The complaints and claims made by the company are not uncommon, causing immeasurable losses to the economy and reputation of the feed mill.
Now with the improvement of production management level, many feed factories have realized the hazards of mycotoxins and feed oxidative deterioration, but some companies still have some deficiencies in their understanding of feed mildew and oxidation:
The lack of knowledge about feed mildew:
The temperature is low, the moisture is low, and the feed is not moldy?
Now the cooling equipment of large feed processing plants has good performance and can control the moisture within 12%. Generally, it will not directly cause the feed to mold, but when the feed is transported or stored due to external factors such as exposure to the sun, the temperature difference between the environment and the feed is formed. , It will also lead to excessive local water content of the feed and cause mildew.
In feed storage, mold prevention is an essential process. Controlling factors such as temperature, humidity and oxygen content is the best way to control feed mildew, but it is difficult to control in reality due to the influence of various factors. At present, the use of antifungal agents is the only effective way to solve feed mildew.
Safe and reliable antifungal agent-calcium propionate
Calcium propionate is a safe and reliable antifungal agent for food and feed approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). At present, propionic acid (salt) has been widely used as a preservative and antifungal agent for bread, grains, etc. . Calcium propionate, like other fats, can be absorbed by humans and animals through metabolism, and supplies necessary calcium for humans and animals. This advantage is unmatched by other antifungal agents and is considered GRAS (US FDA’s safety index for food additives).
There are currently two recognized anti-mold mechanisms of propionate:
① Sterilization: Non-dissociated propionic acid active molecules form high osmotic pressure outside the mold cells, which will dehydrate the mold cells and lose their ability to reproduce.
② Bacteriostasis: Propionate can penetrate the cell wall of mold, inhibit the enzyme activity in the cell and prevent the growth of mold.
According to research, compared with other organic acids, the effect of anti-mildew and propionic acid in feed is better. A report in “Journal of Applied Poultry Research” also shows that the effectiveness of anti-mold agent depends on the content of propionic acid. When choosing an antifungal agent, the content of propionic acid is a key indicator that needs to be considered.