Highly effective antioxidants
Oxidation is the irreversible chemical reaction in which oxygen reacts with feed and feed components. The oxidation of feed ingredients is a common problem in the feed industry. Their negative effects in feed, and subsequently on livestock, can be summarized as:

• Breakdown/degradation of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K
• Breakdown/degradation of oils, fats and pigments
• Breakdown of fat-soluble vitamins
• Loss of palatability
• Loss of energy
• Development of toxic metabolites

Feeding oxidized feed to animals can result in decreased animal health and performance. Therefore it is crucial to prevent oxidation of feed and feed ingredients.

Bottom line loss
The following is an example of how oxidation can lead to a loss of profitability. Oxidation can devalue some feed ingredients by 5- 25%.

	Vitamins	Fish Meal	Oils & Fats
Devaluation of feed ingredients*	25 %	5 %	5 %
Average cost of feed ingredients per tonne	€ 14,000	€ 1,000	€ 900
Devaluation per tonne	€ 3,500	€ 50	€ 45

*Feed ingredients become unusable after complete oxidation

ProTain^TM antioxidant additives
Perstorp’s solution to the problem of oxidation is an antioxidant product line called ProTain^TM. ProTain^TM products prevent the start of the chemical reaction that initiates the oxidation of valuable nutrients, resulting in an improved nutritional value and animal health. The main benefits of these solid or liquid feed additives are:

• Prolonged product shelf-life through ingredient stabilization.
• Protection of nutritional value and organoleptic quality.
• Highly efficient synergistic combinations of (natural) antioxidants with chelators.
• Maximal dispersion and effectivity of the antioxidant through optimal physical properties

The effectivity of antioxidants depends on:

• The type of feed or feed component that needs stabilizing
• The storage conditions of the feed or feed component (temperature, presence of metal ions, presence of light).
• The dosage rate of the antioxidant

Oxidation is a complex process which demands a specialised advice. To achieve the maximum protection of your feed or feed components it is recommended to inform with our application specialists.