Highly effective solutions for mould problems
It is estimated that more than 25% of world wheat, barley and maize production is contaminated with mycotoxins resulting from mould growth. In warm and humid regions and under difficult conditions this could be even higher. The reason for this is that mould growth is stimulated by several biological and environmental factors like high temperature, high moisture level in grain kernels or high contamination with soil.
Moulds can be a problem in grain even though they are not visible. At a level of 500 000 spores per gram of feed, grain quality has already decreased significantly for a number of reasons.
First of all, quality declines through the negative impact that moulds have on the exterior of feed. Grain becomes discoloured, dusty, damaged and often caked. The risk of insect infestation also increases.
Secondly, the nutritional value of the grain or feed is influenced by mould growth. The energy level of feed is reduced, particularly because its fat content is used by the mould, and its protein level decreases. Furthermore, the levels of amino acids and vitamins in feed falls, and the energy level of feed ingredients can decline by 5-10%. Thus the total reduction in the nutritional value of feed caused by mould cuts the profitability of a feed mill.
Corn Wheat Barley
Loss of nutritional value due to fungi 5% 5% 5%
Average cost of raw material/tonne* €230 €247 €240
Loss in value per tonne €11.5 €12.4 €12.0
* (LEI 2008)
Feed Mill
Total feed production per year : 100 000 tonnes
Average use of grains (+/- 60%) per year : 60 000 tonnes
Loss of profitability per year (at € 12.0/tonne) €720 000 per year!
As mould growth also negatively impacts the health and performance of livestock, and feed costs represent 50 to 70% of livestock production expenses, farm income and profitability are seriously affected.
A further important reason why the quality of grain decreases is the formation of mycotoxins by moulds. There are many different types of mycotoxins of which the most well known is probably aflatoxin. This mycotoxin was already found in feed in the 1960’s and caused many deaths in poultry. Today, mycotoxins like deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, ochratoxin and fumonisin, which also cause a lot of health problems in livestock, are also well characterized
The reason why there are so many different mycotoxins is that each mould type produces different kinds. Zearalenone and deoxynivalenol are, for example, produced by Fusarium and aflatoxin and ochratoxin are produced by Aspergillus. Under different climatic conditions, different amounts and types of mycotoxins are produced. This is why aflatoxin is a problem in more humid and hot regions (e.g. South America) and deoxinivalenol is more of a problem in colder climates like those of northeast Europe. Some mycotoxins are produced in grain during growth while others are produced during grain storage.
Mycotoxins can cause problems in farm animals like feed refusal, reduced growth and reduced egg production, and in the more severe cases it can lead to damage to the liver, kidneys, central nervous system and blood clotting functions. Because of this negative impact on animal health, limits have been set on their presence in feed, as shown in the following table:
Aflatoxin B1 All feed material 0.02 ppm
Ochratoxin A Cereals 0.25 ppm
Zearalenone Cereals 2 ppm
Deoxynivalenol Cereals 8 ppm
Dedicated feed additives
ProSidTM feed additives from Perstorp include a number of products that are dedicated to preventing or minimizing mould damage in order to improve animal health and performance. Their properties have been fully investigated and product formulations have been developed to ensure you achieve optimal results.
Our ProSidTM feed additives can be divided into two different groups of products: ProSidTMMI and ProSidTM TB.
ProSidTM MI is our group of mould inhibitors. These products are based on synergistic blends of organic acids. By treating your grains or feed with ProSidTM MI you can prevent mould growth along with the formation of mycotoxins.
ProSidTM TB are our broad spectrum binders. When you suspect that your feed or raw material is contaminated with mycotoxins, you can add ProSidTM TB to prevent your animals from getting health problems caused by them. Our ProSidTM TB comprises a mix of binders that remove toxins by adsorbing them so that they can be readily excreted from the animal.