Maintain Swine Feed Quality with Kemin Product Solutions

What is feed quality? High-quality animal feed retains its nutritional value and visual appearance from the day it is harvest until the day it is consumed. Maintaining the nutritional value and quality of feed takes more than just proper handling and storage practices, however. To maintain feed value, producers must look for additional solutions such as fat and oil stabilizers, acid stabilizers and grain and feed storage enhancers.

Swine Feed Quality – Managing Challenges from Molds, Mycotoxins and Lipid Oxidation

Molds and Mycotoxins

For swine producers, one of the biggest challenges faced in providing complete nutrition is the presence of mold and mycotoxins. The major fungi causing frequent and problematic contamination of foods and feeds with mycotoxins are members of the fungal genera Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium.^1,2 Mycotoxin contamination is considered an unavoidable and unpredictable problem, even where good agricultural, storage and processing practices are implemented – ultimately posing a difficult challenge to food safety.³

To assist swine producers in controlling mold growth during storage and processing of feed and feed ingredients, Kemin offers a full line of grain and feed treatment options. Kemin also offers an enhanced zeolite mineral flow agent which supports performance by reducing the harmful effects of naturally-occurring fungal metabolites found in feeds.

Lipid Oxidation

When it comes to formulating diets, maximizing energy value and nutrient uptake are critical for animal performance. Unfortunately for swine nutritionists, lipid sources used in feed formulations today – animal fats, vegetable oils, blended fats and by-product oils – are not all created equal. These lipids vary not only in their physical and chemical properties but also in their susceptibility to oxidation – a major cause of decreased fat quality.

Feeding oxidized fats can decrease feed palatability, destroy fat-soluble vitamins and negatively impact performance of swine.^4,5 To assist swine producers in maximizing the value of their fats and oils, Kemin has developed research-backed natural and synthetic antioxidant systems specifically designed for different fats, oils and complete feeds.

Kemin Feed Quality Platform and Product Solutions

Adding Kemin Feed Quality solutions can prolong feed shelf-life, save on production costs and improve storage success. Partnering with Kemin means complete support from the Kemin Technical Service and Customer Laboratory Service teams. Kemin offers customized product solutions, ensuring you receive the protection you need. 

References

¹Sweeney M.J., Dobson D.W. Mycotoxin production by Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium species. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 1998;43:141–158. doi: 10.1016/S0168-1605(98)00112-3.

²Marin S., Ramos A.J., Cano-Sancho G., Sanchis V. Mycotoxins: Occurrence, toxicology, and exposure assessment. Food Chem. Toxicol. 2013;60:218–237. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2013.07.047.

³Alshannaq, A., & Yu, J. H. (2017). Occurrence, Toxicity, and Analysis of Major Mycotoxins in Food. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14(6), 632. doi:10.3390/ijerph14060632

⁴Hung, Y.T., et al. 2017. Peroxidized lipids reduce growth performance of poultry and swine: A meta-analysis. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 231:47-58.

⁵Shurson, J., et al. 2015. Evaluating the quality of feed fats and oils and their effects on pig growth performance. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology, 6:10.

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