The amino acid market is constantly evolving to meet the needs and demands of the industry for quality, technology, and environmental concerns. There are many players in the market, and each of them brings their own solution to the table. For some time now, Jefo developed an innovative production technology to achieve the granulation of threonine. With an increasing demand, notably within the US and European market, this granular form has also been applied to other amino acids like tryptophan and valine. Jefo, a global leader in the field of non-medicated nutritional solutions for production animals, developed this technology and confirms its benefits through numerous studies and field trials. The production unit is located in China where Jefo invested in a specialized manufacturing facility with reputable know-how, resulting in an excellent cost-benefit for customers with guaranteed Jefo quality control and standards.
Proven benefits of Jefo’s technology
By comparison to two different sources of threonine (a regular powder and a powder formula diluted to 25% for high dosage use), the Jefo granular threonine shows bigger particle size than the classical powder forms but with a more uniform dispersion and a similar density.
Flow properties, compressibility and cohesiveness…
To assess the results of the behaviors of those three sources, several factors were taken into account. For instance, the angle of repose, which is the angle formed by the powder placed on a flat, horizontal surface, indicating the flowability. Regarding the three products, angles of repose were similar and conformed to expectations, averaging 32 to 34 degrees, indicating a good flowability.
In feed production, compressibility, which illustrates the static behavior of a product in a silo, and cohesiveness, the dynamic behavior that causes flowability without blocking in transfer systems, are critical aspects. The compressibility is calculated using a specific volume of free-falling powder in a calibrated container, and then by packing it by tapping the container several times on a table. Compression will occur, and the volume will be completed with more powder. Cohesiveness is also calculated using pressed and loose powder. Findings show that granular threonine is more fluid, less compressible and less cohesive than the other forms previously available on the market.
… Solubility, homogeneity and mixability
To obtain optimal results from an additive in a formula, it is essential to control its dispersion and to ensure the most homogeneous mix possible. This implies good performance of mixing conditions, incorporation rate of additive (approximately 500 ppm for most equipment) and the mixability of the additive itself. Using a sample that corresponds to the animal’s daily intake, one can estimate the number of particles of additive according to its granulometry. Then, it is possible to determine a theoretical coefficient of variation (CV), which corresponds to the expected additive retrieval rate in the sample. Studies show that “the thinner the better,” since the additive will be distributed more evenly and the chances to find it in the entire batch are higher. It is the opposite for larger particles.
Incorporation rate of amino acids in swine feed is between 0.10 and 0.20%. At 0.15%, the theoretical CV of granular threonine in 1.5 kg of feed should be 16.4%. Nevertheless, if we consider the contribution of synthetized threonine equals 25% of digestible threonine, and we report it to the total of this amino acid in the formula, the CV becomes 4.1%. The number of particles is estimated to be 176,000/g. All of these studies and analyses performed and presented by Jefo highlight the benefits of granular amino acids: the method of agglomeration preserves solubility as well as the mixability especially in pig feed. The granular powder is fluid and non-cohesive, presents a sandlike or granular aspect, with appropriate flowability without risk of clogging.
Please contact Jefo for more information on granular amino acids.
