tasti-solutions for raw material changes

Increasing raw material prices bring big challenges to the animal nutritionist and feed formulator.

Sometimes the price is so high, for example milk powder products, that they can no longer be used in the formulation. In these cases by-products such as DDGS becomes available but the consequences of optimising the inclusion rates are not always known. Currently scientific and industry journals are awash with information about DDGS in terms of the nutritional parameters. However, what is often forgotten not only with DDGS but also with milk powder substitutions, are the effects on feed palatability and intake patterns. We know from past experience and animal trials that dairy cows for example, are very sensitive to changes in the gustatory (taste) and olfactory (smell) of the feed. This can be reflected by a reduction in milk production. Likewise with piglets and calves, optimising intake depends on the taste characteristics of the feed, hence the widespread use of specialised sweeteners such as SUCRAM. The result of removing highly palatable milk based ingredients takes away the milky notes known to be very attractive to the young animal.

Often the nutritionist, quite understandably, focuses on the nutritional issues and forgets about questions of palatability related to the variability of taste and smell. To assist the feed manufacturer we recommend a series of Tasti-solutions targeted at specific raw materials - to bring economic benefits. For example to replicate the taste and smell of milk products a combination of the flavour CMO-TEK 6161 and sweetener SUCRAM 3D is recommended. In diets where artificial sweeteners cannot be used, either select CMO-TEK 6161 on its own at a higher inclusion rate or use with the natural sweetener SUCRAM N-3D. When the inclusion rate of cane molasses needs to be lowered to reduce formulation costs or to enhance the palatability of beet molasses a new product – MOLASWEET, available in either liquid or powder form (Europe excluded), is already proving a great success. For customers in Europe the choice of product is PANTEK-MOLASSES which is also available as powder and liquid for application with the Pancosma Spray – Pan System.

Concerning biofuel production two by-products are now widely used by the feed industry. They are DDGS and raw glycerine from the production of bioethanol and biodiesel respectively. The major problem with these by-products is the variability of their olfactory and gustatory properties to regulate and enhance the palatability of feeds containing these ingredients. We recommend for ruminant diets containing DDGS, COVOTEK Fenugreek or COVOTEK Coco – Vanilla (powder or liquid) and for pig grower and finisher diets PIGORTEK Raspberry with, where permitted, SUCRAM at reduced levels of between 75-100g/tonne. In diets for piglets up to 12 weeks of age SUCRAM at 150g/tonne is the best choice. Finally for raw glycerine the choice of palatant will depend on its purpose of the glycerine in the diet. As this will usually be as a replacement for propylene glycol (dust suppression) the recommendations are the same as for regularising the taste and smell of feeds containing DDGS. However raw glycerine can be more extreme in its variability compared to DDGS and often has unpleasant off-odours which have to be neutralized, otherwise the risks of negative reactions by the animal are increased.

We offer a support service to our customers where economic solutions to the use of different raw materials can be investigated and a Tasti-solution formulated.