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Animal feed additives are substances added to animal feeds to improve nutrition, promote growth, and enhance health. They come in different forms, including:
Vitamins
These are organic compounds required in minute amounts for normal physiological functioning. Common feed additives in this category include Vitamin A, D, E, K, and B-complex.
Minerals
Inorgainc compounds that play essential roles in various body functions. For example, Calcium, Phosphorus, Sodium, Zinc, and Iron are commonly added.
Amino Acids
These organic compounds are the building blocks of proteins. Feed-grade Lysine, Methionine, Threonine, and Tryptophan are commonly used.
Antibiotics
These are chemical compounds that inhibit the growth of bacteria and are used to prevent and treat diseases. Common feed additive antibiotics include Oxytetracycline, Chlortetracycline, and Zinc-Bacitracin.
Probiotics and Prebiotics
These promote gut health and improve digestion and nutrient absorption. Feed-grade probiotics include Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, while prebiotics include fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and mannanoligosaccharides (MOS).
Enzymes
These biological catalysts are added to improve nutrient availability and digestion. Common enzyme feed additives include Phytase, Beta-glucanase, and Xylanase.
Antioxidants
These feed additives prevent the oxidation of fats and vitamins in animal feeds. Commonly used are Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) and Ethoxyquin.
Flavorings and Sweeteners
Flavoring agents, such as sugars, glyceryl monostearate, and molasses, enhance the palatability of feeds, increasing their intake by animals.
Binders
These improve feed millability and dietary cohesiveness. Common feed additive examples are Lignin and bentonite.
Animal feed additives are used in several industries, including the following:
Agriculture
They are used in livestock feeds to improve animal health, increase growth rates, and enhance feed efficiency. For instance, veterinary pharmaceuticals for disease prevention and probiotics for gut health are commonly added to swine, poultry, and ruminant feeds.
Aquaculture
They are used in fish and shrimp feeds to promote growth, improve survival rates, and enhance disease resistance. Additives like feed-grade probiotics for gut health, amino acids for protein standards, and phosphates and vitamins to improve skeletal system development and maintain energy balance are commonly used.
Pet Food Industry
They enhance the nutritional profile of pet foods, improving skin and coat health, enhancing digestion, and boosting immunity. For instance, glycosaminoglycans for joint health, probiotics for gut health, and vitamins and minerals are commonly added to canine and feline feeds.
Dairy Industry
They are used in dairy cattle nutrition to improve milk yield and quality, increase fat and protein content in milk, and enhance reproductive performance.
Meat Production
They are used to improve meat quality, increase lean-to-fat ratios, and enhance the tenderness and taste of the meat, making it more desirable to consumers. Moreover, they help decrease the number of undesirable components, such as chemical residues, in meat from beef cattle, swine, and other edible meat-producing animals.
Feed Manufacturing
Animal feed additives are used in the feed manufacturing process to ensure the consistency and stability of the feeds produced. For example, preservatives for feed storage longevity, antioxidants for feed and premix additive stability, and binders for cohesive consistency.
Nutritional Benefits
They improve health, increase productivity, and enhance the nutritional profile of animal products, making them more valuable for consumers.
Improved Feed Efficiency
This enables animals to derive more nutrients from their feed, boosting growth, egg production, milk output, and meat production rates.
Enhanced Immune Function
Many feed additives strengthen animals' immune systems, resulting in less disease incidence and an enhanced ability to resist infections and illnesses.
Antioxidant Properties
They prevent the oxidation and deterioration of nutrients in feed, thus improving the longevity and consistency of feeds. Additionally, they protect animal health by preventing the damage of free radicals to cells.
Improved Palatability
Additives like flavorings and sweeteners make feeds more palatable, encouraging animals to consume adequate amounts for optimal health and growth.
Animal feed additives are usually mixed with other feed components, such as grains, protein meals, vitamins, minerals, and non-nutritive additives, forming a homogenous mixture. They are incorporated into the animal diets either directly or via premixes. Some are mixed with liquid feed and administered, while others are added to total mixed rations (TMR) in dairy and beef cattle. Certain feed additives are incorporated into feed blocks or pellets for continuous consumption. Manufacturers ensure the correct dosage of feed additives is used for each animal type and production stage.
Store in a Cool, Dry Place
They should be kept in a cool and dry place with stable and moderate temperatures. Therefore, exposure to rain and direct sunlight should be avoided.
Avoid Contamination
When handling them, users should ensure the containers and their hands are clean to avoid contaminating these additives with dirt, chemicals, or other foreign substances.
Keep Out of Reach of Children
These additives should be kept out of the reach of children to avoid accidental ingestion or exposure. Moreover, suitable safety equipment, such as gloves and masks, should be worn when handling them to avoid skin or respiratory irritation.
Follow Manufacturer Instructions
Users should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and guidelines for mixing, usage, and storage to guarantee maximum effectiveness and safety.
Regular Inspections
Routine inspections should be done to check for signs of pest infestation, moisture damage, or container deterioration. If any of these occurs are reported, the feed additives affected should be discarded.
Manufacturers of animal feed additives use different materials. Below is a list of some of the key materials.
Vitamins
These are usually made from natural sources, such as fish liver oils, yeast extract, and egg yolks, and synthetic chemical compounds derived from petrochemical/chemical industry processes, such as acetone, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, ammonia, and sodium bisulfite.
Mineral Salts
Minerals are obtained from naturally occurring mineral deposits, such as rock salt, gypsum, and phosphate rock. While some minerals are synthetically produced by neutralizing acids with bases (for sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid) or combining two salts (for calcium and sodium to precipitate basic salts), others are extracted from mine ores and processed. Moreover, some minerals are manufactured through chemical precipitation and electrolytic deposition.
Amino Acids
Some, such as lysine, methionine, and tryptophan, are from natural animal/human protein sources like hydrolyzed fish and gelatin. However, most are synthetically produced from feedstock, such as petroleum derivatives for lysine, sulfuric acid and ammonia for methionine, glucose for tryptophan, and calcium carbonate for calcium standardization. Other rare amino acids, such as Selenocysteine, are got from plant sources, such as wheat germ.
Antibiotics
These are naturally produced by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. However, some are semi-synthetically derived from natural precursors, such as Streptomyces bacteria for tetracycline and oxytetracycline. Additionally, clavulanic acid is from fungi.
Probiotics
They are bacteria and yeast cultured in a nutrient-rich medium, such as dextrose, glucose, and sugar agar, and molasses. Some are isolated from traditional fermented food products like yogurt, kefir, and buttermilk.
To purchase quality animal feed additives in bulk, buyers should consider getting them directly from lead manufacturers or authorized distributors. They should also seek multiple quotes from different suppliers to benefit from price concessions and compare discounts, the minimum order requirement, the price for shipment, and other terms and policies. Furthermore, they should establish long-term partnerships with a reliable feed additive supplier with a history of consistency in product supply. Additionally, they should focus on bulk purchases of the same products to negotiate bulk unit pricing.
When buying large quantities of these additives, buyers’ primary consideration should be the product’s compatibility with the animals they generally source feed for. Additionally, they should ensure consistency in the product. They should also consider purchasing them from suppliers with a documented track record of on-time delivery. Furthermore, they should ensure the produc t is stored safely to avoid it being mixed with dangerous substances.
Yes, certain certificates indicate that the animal feed additives manufacturer is dedicated to creating quality products. For instance, the ISO 9001 certification for quality management systems and practices and other relevant certifications, such as Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and FAMI-QS (European Feed Additives and Premixes for Animals) certification, are significant for product quality. Moreover, buyers should give precedence to manufacturers with quality certificates for environmentally friendly practices. Additionally, certificates of analysis (COAs) for specific batches may be obtainable upon request to affirm that certain feed additive consignments meet explicit quality and safety standards.
All Feed Additives Are Artificial
This is false because there are natural feed supplements such as Omega 3 fatty acids, probiotics, and amino acids and minerals manufacturers add to the feeds.
Feed Additives Are Harmful to Animals
Although some manufacturers use low-quality chemicals and materials to produce these additives, most manufacturers follow the necessary procedures to make quality products that are safe for animals.
Feed Additives Are Only for Meat-Producing Animals
Some buyers think these additives are only added to feeds for poultry and swine to promote growth and disease resistance. However, they are also added to dairy cattle and other animals' feeds to improve milk production and quality.
All Feed Additives Are Equal
Indeed, there are different types of feed additives, including nutritional additives, technological, and zootechnical feed purposeless additives. Moreover, each type comes with a specific benefit to the animal.
