How Moisture Optimization Can Transform Feed Production and Profitability
Vinayak Ingredients (India) Private Limited
Adding More to Nutrition
Animal feed producers all over the world try to achieve better nutrient utilization and animal performance by optimal use of resources. Their primary concern is improving the feed mill efficiency and production parameters in order to ensure profitability. The moisture retention in feed is an important indicator associated with feed weight variation which has great economic significance in today's competitive environment. Although initially, feed raw materials have an average moisture content of 12%, its hammer-mill-crushing, grinding, and ingredient mixing stages let moisture evaporate and thereby decrease the initial moisture content often below 11%. As a result, the moisture content of the finished product is usually between 0.5 - 1% lower than the initial moisture content of the raw materials. This loss needs to be recovered to retain 12% moisture in the finished feed.
Importance of Moisture Retention in Feed
The moisture content of the feed product not only affects the internal and external product quality of the feed but also has a direct impact on the output rate and economic benefits of the product.?Optimizing moisture content in the feed is key to ensuring safe, nutritional, high-quality, and consistent animal feed. Sufficient moisture in mash feeds improves particle adhesion, heat transfer, and, ultimately, better pellet quality. Also, selling feed products at moisture content lower than what is necessary leads to unnecessary weight loss of the finished product. Hence, optimization of moisture content in animal feed is of high importance.
Key Aspects of Moisture Optimization in Feed
Nutrient stability: Controlling moisture levels helps prevent the degradation of essential components during storage and transportation.
Mould and microbial growth: Excess moisture in feed can create a favourable environment for the growth of moulds, bacteria, and other microorganisms.
Pellet quality: The moisture content affects the binding and durability of the pellets, influencing their resistance to breakage and dustiness
Storage stability: It is important to optimize moisture levels to prevent caking, clumping, and the development of off-odours.
Palatability:?Optimising moisture levels can enhance palatability, making the feed more appealing to animals and encouraging proper consumption
Techniques for Moisture Retention in Feed: Benefits and Challenges
Steam Conditioning the feed is one of the methods of feed processing for maintaining appropriate moisture levels. In this method, the feed is exposed to high-pressure steam. This steam improves moisture retention, particle binding, and removal of pathogens in the feed. However, due to the need for specialized equipment, high energy consumption, skilled labour, and maintenance, significantly increases production costs. Additionally, much of the added moisture is lost during the cooling and drying stages, resulting in inefficiencies.?
In contrast, powdered moisture retention solutions along with the combination of humectants and moisture retaining additives offer a cost-effective alternative by eliminating the need for expensive infrastructure and energy-intensive processes.
Retentio
RETENTIO is an effective option to improve moisture retention in the finished feed. It reduces the surface tension of water, allowing better penetration and improved distribution. The addition of RETENTIO ensures that the water is evenly distributed throughout the feed material and does not remain only on the surface of the particles. The humectants present in RETENTIO play a vital role in moisture retention in the feed. Also, the activated propionates in RETENTIO, have synergistic mould-inhibiting properties which further assures a long-lasting antifungal effect.?
Benefits
“Efficient Feed Moisture Retention with Retentio”
References on request
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