Oil binding ingredient for an animal feed composition

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of animal feed compositions, a fat composition suitable for use as an oil binding ingredient in an animal feed composition and the use thereof. It is specifically provided a free fatty acid and / or triglyceride fat composition suitable as an oil binding ingredient for use in an animal feed composition, wherein said fat composition comprises: 10-35 % by weight of total fatty acids being C22, 50-80 % by weight of total fatty acids being C18 and 1-20 % by weight of total fatty acids being C16.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to the field of animal feed compositions, a fat composition suitable for use as an oil binding ingredient in an animal feed composition and the use thereof. BACKGROUND Animal feed compositions in general, and feed for aquaculture in particular, is a concentrated package of nutrients and energy designed to provide rapid, healthy and cost-effective growth of the animal (e.g. fish such as salmon) and prime quality of the end products. High amounts of digestible lipids, in particular liquid oils, are often desirable in animal feed compositions, as they are particularly high in energy and beneficial for the growth and development of animals. During the last years the aquaculture feed industry in particular has increased the percentage of vegetable oils replacing marine raw materials e.g. fish oil in the fish feed. Especially salmon requires a very high energy density feed and thus feed for salmon often contain very high amounts of liquid oils. The incorporation of high amounts of liquid oils in animal feed compositions is difficult to achieve since the liquid oil needs to be structurally retained in the feed composition. Leakage of liquid oils results in a decreased provision of liquid oils to the animal, which in turn results in decreased nutritional effect and in production problems, such as clogging of the animal feed in storage or in transport pipes. Accordingly, one of the challenges in the animal feed composition industry is difficulties in the production line as well as loss of nutrients during feed distribution, caused among other things by oil leakage and disruption of pellets during production, storage, transportation and feed administration. This results in e.g. profitability losses as well as reduced animal welfare and health. WO2020 / 007965 describes an animal feed composition comprising liquid oil and an oil- binding ingredient, wherein said oil-binding ingredient comprises wax-esters. WO2007 / 100251 describes a coated animal feed comprising at least one active ingredient and a coating, wherein the coating comprises a hydrogenated fat and / or a wax. The active ingredient is selected from the group consisting of therapeutics, prophylactics, enzymes, vitamins, yeasts, and combinations. EP1825762 describes an animal feed composition comprising active compounds. The active compounds are strongly adhered to the feed by means of a fat coating and the animal feed has a low coating content. High amounts of additives for preventing oil leakage currently need to be incorporated into the animal feed composition, to efficiently reduce the oil leakage from the animal feed composition. As many of these additives for preventing oil leakage cannot be efficiently metabolized by certain animals, in particular fish, their presence significantly reduces the total amount of energy in an animal feed composition. There is thus a need in the market for an animal feed composition which can overcome the disadvantages and provide an animal feed composition with a high content of liquid oil without using high amounts of additives. The present invention addresses such needs and interest and provides a solution to this problem. SUMMARY The present invention provides an oil binding ingredient which can be used as a structure enhancer and crystallization starter in high-energy animal feed compositions and which is based on oils and fats and which are present in the final animal feed composition in minute negligible amounts thereby not significantly affecting the total amount of energy available for the animals receiving the feed. In one aspect the present invention relates to a fat composition suitable as an oil binding ingredient for use in an animal feed composition, wherein said fat composition comprises: a. 10-35 % by weight of total fatty acids being C22, b. 50-80 % by weight of total fatty acids being C18 and c. 1-20 % by weight of total fatty acids being C16 In one embodiment of the invention the fat composition is fully hydrogenated. In further embodiments of the present invention the C22 fatty acid is in the form of behenic acid, the C18 fatty acid is in the form of stearic acid and / or the C16 fatty acid is in the form of palmitic acid. In a further advantageous embodiment of the present invention the fat composition does not contain fatty acids derived from palm oil or palm kernel oil. In a further embodiment the present invention relates to an animal feed composition comprising a total lipid content of from 10 to 60 wt%, wherein said total lipid content comprises a. at least 40 wt% of a liquid oil, and b. 0.01 to 3 wt% of the fat composition as previously defined. In one embodiment the total lipid content is distributed within the animal feed composition. In one embodiment the animal feed composition is an aquafeed composition, preferably a fish feed composition. In a preferred embodiment, the animal feed composition is in form of a pellet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Definitions The term "comprising" or "to comprise" is to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated parts, steps, features, or components, but does not exclude the presence of one or more additional parts, steps, features, or components. As used herein, "%" or "percentage" all relates to weight percentage i.e. wt.% or wt.-% if nothing else is indicated. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, "at least one" is intended to mean one or more, i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc. The term "vegetable oil" is intended to mean an oil or fat originating from a plant. Thus, a vegetable fat or vegetable triglycerides are still to be understood as vegetable fat or oil or vegetable triglycerides after fractionation, hydrogenation and / or interesterification etc. As used herein, "hydrogenation" should be understood as the process of modifying fat consistency by saturating the double bonds. By adding hydrogen to the double bonds of the fatty acid chains, oil can be transformed from an unsaturated to a saturated state. This is further known to improve the shelf life of fats. As used herein, "oil binding ingredient" should be understood as a fat composition which forms a structure with a liquid oil. Therefore, the oil binding ingredient initiates crystallization forming a harder structure, and has oil binding properties, thus immobilizes the liquid oil in the structure. Thereby, the leakage of liquid oil from the animal feed composition is further reduced or prevented. As used herein, the term "fatty acid" encompasses free fatty acids and fatty acid residues in triglycerides, preferably it is fatty acid residues in triglycerides. This means that the fatty acids of the invention predominantly is present in the form of triglycerides, i.e. as a tri-ester consisting of a glycerol bound to three fatty acids. The three fatty acids bound to the glycerol can be the same fatty acid or they can be different fatty acids. Thus, the fatty acids of the invention are not predominantly present as mono- and / or diglycerides. As used herein, the term "and / or" is intended to mean the combined ("and") and the exclusive ("or") use, i.e. "A and / or B" is intended to mean "A alone, or B alone, or A and B together". For example, in the context "rapeseed oil and / or cotton seed oil" it is thus intended to mean "rapeseed oil", "cotton seed oil" or "rapeseed oil and cotton seed oil". As used herein the term "C22 fatty acid" is intended to refer to fatty acids having a carbon length of 22. The C22 fatty acid can contain one or more carbon-carbon double bond(s), thereby making the fatty acid mono or polyunsaturated, i.e. C22:0 and / or C22:1. If the C22 fatty acid is fully hydrogenated it is in the form of behenic acid (C22:0). The C22 fatty acid of the invention is preferably fatty acid residues in triglycerides. As used herein the term "C18 fatty acid" is intended to refer to fatty acids having a carbon length of 18. The C18 fatty acid can contain one or more carbon-carbon double bond(s), thereby making the fatty acid mono or polyunsaturated, i.e. C18:0 and / or C18:1. If the C18 fatty acid is fully hydrogenated it is in the form of stearic acid (C18:0). The C18 fatty acid of the invention is preferably fatty acid residues in triglycerides. As used herein the term "C16 fatty acid" is intended to refer to fatty acids having a carbon length of 16. The C16 fatty acid can contain one or more carbon-carbon double bond(s), thereby making the fatty acid mono or polyunsaturated, i.e. C16:0 and / or C16:1. If the C16 fatty acid is fully hydrogenated it is in the form of palmitic acid (C16:0). The C16 fatty acid of the invention is preferably fatty acid residues in triglycerides. Animal feed compositions in general, and feed for aquaculture in particular, is a concentrated package of nutrients and energy designed to provide rapid, healthy and cost-effective growth of the animal (e.g. fish such as salmon) and prime quality of the end products. The feed covers all the needs of the animal in all phases of life, from stocking to harvest. The composition thus comprises various animal feed ingredients. The skilled person will know which ingredients a given animal feed composition contains and will know how to produce such an animal feed composition. The animal feed composition according to the inventions is used as aquafeed, for companion or farmed animals and in pet food. Typically, the animal feed composition is used for animal such as cattle (dairy and beef), pig, horse, goat, sheep, rodents, chicken, goose, duck or turkey. Pet food is more dedicated to cats or dogs, and aquafeed is suitable for fish (e.g. farm- and costal-raised carp, tilapia, salmon, walleye, trout, sea-bass or catfish), and crustaceans (e.g. shrimp, lobster, crabs, crayfish and prawns) and molluscs (e.g. snails, clams, oysters, squid, octopus and mussels). The animal feed composition of the present invention is preferably used as aquafeed, preferably a fish feed composition. In one aspect, the fish feed composition is a salmon feed composition. Salmon fish requires particularly high amounts of liquid oils showing high amounts of unsaturated fatty acids for its growth and development and thus, the present invention is particularly suitable for high energy feed providing welfare and development of the fish. The fish feed composition preferably does not float on a water surface, but rather slowly sinks in the water. Preferably, the fish feed composition is designed in a sustainable way, dust-free and stable in water to prevent water pollution. The size of the fish feed composition depends on the individual type of fish and is known by the person skilled in the art. During the last years the aquaculture feed industry has increased the percentage of vegetable oils replacing marine raw materials e.g. fish oil in the fish feed. At the same time there has been an increased demand for high energy animal feed compositions and thus the amount of liquid oil in the animal feed compositions has increased. High amounts of liquid oil in the animal feed composition are particularly preferred, as the high energy value of liquid oils can promote growth and development of the animals being fed with the animal feed composition. In addition, liquid oils comprise high amounts of unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids that are particularly beneficial for the growth and development in animals. The liquid oil can be one liquid oil or more liquids oils, i.e. mixture of more than one liquid oil. The liquid oil or the mixture of more than one liquid oil has a melting point of less than 35 °C. In the case of the mixture of more than one liquid oil has a melting point of less than 35 °C it is understood that the final mixture of the more than one liquid oils have a melting point of less than 35 °C. In another preferred embodiment, the liquid oil or the mixture of more than one liquid oil has a melting point of less than 20 °C. In one embodiment of the present invention the animal feed composition comprises a total lipid content of from 10 to 60 wt%. In another embodiment of the present invention the animal feed composition comprises a total lipid content of from 20-50 wt%, such as from 30- 50 wt%, such as from 20-40 wt%, such as from 40-50 wt%. In one embodiment of the present invention the total lipid content comprises at least 40 wt% of a liquid oil, such as at least 50 wt%, such as at least 60 wt% of a liquid oil. In one embodiment of the present invention the total lipid content comprises from 40 to 100 wt% of a liquid oil, such as from 50 to 100 wt%, such as from 60 to 100 wt% of a liquid oil. The liquid oil is derived from a vegetable oil and / or an animal oil. In one embodiment the liquid oil is derived from both vegetable oil and animal oil. The animal oil in the liquid oil can be any animal oil, preferably originating from marine animals (e.g. fish), and / or other animals such as poultry, cattle, pig, horse and / or wild game. Preferably, the vegetable oil in the liquid oil is a vegetable liquid oil selected from the group consisting of oils and fats from palm, palm kernel, cotton seed, corn, groundnut, linseed, olive, rapeseed, canola, rice bran, sesame, safflower, soybean, sunflower, shea and camelina. Also included in the list is their corresponding mid or high oleic varieties or any variety with increased level of unsaturated fatty acids compared to the original seed variety and mixture of two or more thereof. Examples are high oleic sunflower oil, high oleic soybean oil, high oleic canola oil and high erucic rapeseed oil. In one embodiment of the present invention it is desired that the total lipid content is distributed more or less homogenous within the animal feed composition. The total lipid content is distributed within the animal feed composition so that the animal feed composition may comprise the maximum amount of liquid oil. By the distribution of the oil binding ingredient in the total lipid content within the animal feed composition, leakage of the liquid oil from the animal feed composition is reduced or prevented. The oil binding ingredient is thus not a coating per se, but rather exists as an integrated part of the final animal feed composition. The oil binding ingredient can also in one embodiment be added as done in the prior art, namely by spraying and coating. In a preferred embodiment the oil binding ingredient is added in such a way that it is distributed more or less homogenous within the animal feed composition. In a preferred embodiment the animal feed composition is a solid animal feed composition, preferably in the form of a pellet. Preferably, the pellet has small pores, i.e. the pellet is a porous pellet. The use of a fat composition according to the invention for a porous animal feed composition is particularly effective in the reduction or prevention of liquid oil leakage. With the demand for an increased percentage of liquid oil keeping the structure of the animal feed composition is challenging for the manufactures of animal feed compositions. In order to achieve a high energy density an increased amount of liquid oil is added, and this makes it difficult to maintain a stable structure and good physical quality of the animal feed composition. The stable structure is important as it helps encapsulate the nutrients in the animal feed composition. Traditionally, coating fats with additives have been added after extrusion of the animal feed composition. High temperature processing and storage and harsh treatment during administration of the animal feed composition has previously required a high melting fat to be used as component in the coating fat and additives are often also used, e.g. addition of wax. The present invention provides a different solution and relates to a fat composition suitable as an oil-binding ingredient that can achieve the desired functionality in terms of forming structure and altering crystallization behavior by utilizing an optimized ratio of C16, C18 and C22 fatty acids. The fat composition of the present invention has the ability to crystallize and form a network to build structure in a blend with oils with low melting point / soft oils (see Examples). Hence, the structure of the animal feed composition is maintained even with high levels of liquid oil present in the animal feed composition, hence preserving the nutrients in the animal feed composition, and the functionality is even achieved without using additives such as wax. This positive effect is achieved using rather limited amounts of the fat composition of the present invention thereby not affecting the nutritional value of the animal feed composition noticeably. In one embodiment the fat composition of the present invention can be combined with a structure enhancing component. Such a structure enhancing component could be a single structure enhancing component or a combination of different structure enhancing components. Examples of structure enhancing components are monoglycerides, diglycerides, free fatty acids, lecithin and / or waxes. In one embodiment only minute amounts of structure enhancing components are added to the fat composition. In one embodiment of the present invention the fat composition is an oil-binding ingredient. The present invention thus relates to a fat composition suitable as an oil binding ingredient for use in an animal feed compositions, wherein said fat composition comprises 10-35 % by weight of total fatty acids being C22, 50-80% by weight of total fatty acids being C18 and 1- 20% by weight of total fatty acids being C16. In one embodiment the fat composition comprises 10-30% by weight, such as 10-28 % by weight, such as 12-28 % by weight, such as 15-23 % by weight, such as 18-22 % by weight of total fatty acids being C22. In one embodiment the fat composition comprises 60-80% by weight, such as 60-76 % by weight, such as 50-73 % by weight, such as 50-70 % by weight, such as 55-68 % by weight of total fatty acids being C18. In one embodiment the fat composition comprises 1-20 % by weight, such as 1-17 % by weight, such as 1-15 % by weight, such as 1-11 % by weight, such as 5-11 % by weight, such as 7-11 % by weight of total fatty acids being C16. In one embodiment the fat composition comprises 10-30 % by weight of total fatty acids being C22 and 60-80 % by weight of total fatty acids being C18 and 1-20 % by weight of total fatty acids being C16. In one embodiment the fat composition comprises 18-22 % by weight of total fatty acids being C22 and 55-68 % by weight of total fatty acids being C18 and 7-11 % by weight of total fatty acids being C16. In one embodiment the fat composition is fully hydrogenated. By fully hydrogenating the fat composition the fat consistency is modified by saturating the double bonds. This is further known to improve the shelf life of fats. By adding hydrogen to the double bonds of the fatty acid chains, oil can be transformed from an unsaturated to a saturated state and thus in this embodiment the C22 fatty acid present in the fat composition is in the form of behenic acid, the C18 fatty acid present in the fat composition is in the form of stearic acid, and the C16 fatty acid present in the fat composition is in the form of palmitic acid. When adding anything to an animal feed composition it is important that the majority of the ingredients are dedicated to the nutritional value of the animal feed composition. One advantage of the present invention is thus that the positive effect on the structure and crystallization behavior of the liquid oil is achieved using rather limited amounts of the fat composition of the present invention, i.e. the oil-binding ingredient. In one embodiment the total lipid content of the animal feed composition comprises from 0.01 to 3 wt% of fat composition of the present invention. In another embodiment the total lipid content comprises from 0.01 to 2 wt%, such as from 0.01 to 1 wt%, such as from 0.01 to 0.5 wt% of the fat composition. Traditionally high erucic rapeseed oil has been used as a structure enhancer and crystallization starter (i.e. as an oil-binding ingredient) in high-energy animal feed compositions. For cost reasons the high erucic rapeseed oil has partly been replaced by fully hydrogenated palm fractions and other more cost-efficient vegetable oils. However, the market demands sustainable solutions and palm oil has been questioned in this regard, especially in Norway, and hence an animal feed composition not containing oil originating from palm trees is in high demand. In one embodiment of the present invention the fat composition comprises fatty acids derived from a vegetable oil or fat, such as oil or fat from sunflower, karuka, camelina, carinata, olive, corn, safflower, kokum, sesame, rice bran, shea, cocoa, illipe, sal, mango, evening primrose, borage, flaxseed / linseed, canola, rapeseed, high erucic rapeseed, cotton seed, ground nut, palm, palm kernel and / or soybean. In another embodiment the fat composition comprises fatty acids derived from oil or fat from sunflower, karuka, canola, rapeseed, high erucic rapeseed, cotton seed, palm, palm kernel and / or soybean. In another embodiment the fat composition comprises fatty acids derived from oil or fat from canola, rapeseed, high erucic rapeseed, cotton seed, carinata and / or soybean. In one embodiment of the present invention the fat composition does not contain fatty acids derived from palm oil or palm kernel oil. Use of the fat composition of the present invention is also part of the disclosure. In one embodiment use of the fat composition as an ingredient in an animal feed composition is part of the disclosure. In one embodiment the fat composition comprising 18-22 % by weight of total fatty acids being C22 and 55-68 % by weight of total fatty acids being C18, and 7-11 % by weight of total fatty acids being C16 is used in the manufacture of an animal feed composition. In another embodiment the animal feed composition is used for feeding an animal, preferably a fish. EXAMPLES Example 1 - Ability to crystallize and build a strong network In order to evaluate the properties of the fat composition of the invention (a fat composition suitable as an oil-binding ingredient) the ability to crystallize (i.e. crystallization start) and form a network to build structure together with the soft oils is evaluated. Method description Preparation 1. The fat composition is heated to between 70°C and 80°C 2. 1-5% of the fat composition is homogenously distributed in a refined liquid oil (min 50g). 3. The blend is heated to between 70°C and 80°C. 4. 3 ml of the pre-heated blend is distributed in small tubes. 5. The tube with the blend is heated to between 70°C and 80°C and then placed in room temperature (approx. 18°C). 6. The sample is stored at RT and evaluation is performed visually after 1 hour, 1 day and 5 days. Evaluation 1. The visual evaluation is done by assessing the homogeneity of the sample. If separated, description of the sample is made, and the separated transparent part of the sample is measured (height in mm). 2. Assessment of the ability to crystallize and form network is done by tilting the tube and then a description of the samples according to the following scale is done: 1. Flowable 2. Flowable with structure, easy to pour from the tube 3. Movable with structure, pourable from the tube 4. Questionable movable, can hardly be poured from the tube 5. Not movable, some movement when pouring 6. Firm, remains in the tube Table 1 - Ability to crystallize and build a strong network [Image disponible dans le document PDF, Image available in the PDF document] [Image disponible dans le document PDF, Image available in the PDF document] [Image disponible dans le document PDF, Image available in the PDF document] *Visual measurement of network formation according to evaluation defined in method description Table 1 shows that the test composition of the present invention (mix of oil from cotton, HEAR, rapeseed and soybean) has the same ability as the market reference comprising 100% HEAR (High Erucic Acid Rapeseed oil) to form a structure / network with liquid oil in a blend with refined rapesed oil in different ratios. It also shows that the strength of the network, measured as ability to prevent separation, is comparable between the test composition of the present invention (test composition) and the market reference. Example 2 - Crystallization - and melting properties of the fat composition By using a Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) the crystallization- and melting properties of the fat composition of the invention was evaluated. In the following example, samples were analyzed by a METTLER TOLEDO DSC822e with a HAAKE EK90 / MT cooling system. The oil samples were heated up to 10-15 °C above the melting point and homogenized properly. 10+ / - 3 mg of oil samples were sealed in a 40 µL aluminum capsule, with an empty capsule as reference. Samples were measured by using a developed and validated method for this specific application. Experiments were performed in duplicate. A person skilled in the art knows how to perform a DSC analysis. Table 2 - Crystallization- and melting properties of the fat composition [Image disponible dans le document PDF, Image available in the PDF document] [Image disponible dans le document PDF, Image available in the PDF document] Table 2 shows the typical crystallization temperatures for a market reference (100% HEAR) and the present invention (test composition as described in Example 1), either oilin a blend with refined rapeseed oil (RSO) according to the described DSC method. As can be seen from Table 2 the crystallization temperature is a bit lower for the test composition, than for the market reference, which has an influence on the production conditions which the animal feed composition producers should use when working with the test composition. The skilled person will know that when the crystallization temperature is different for a fat composition, the temperature at which it is liquid also is changed. A lower crystallization temperature means that the fat crystallizes (i.e. becomes solid) at a lower temperature. Because the crystallization temperature is lower, the storage temperature (i.e. the temperature in the storage tank) can be lower for the test composition compared to the market reference. On the other hand, more cooling might be needed during production using the test composition compared to the market reference. Thus, the crystallization temperature data gives an indication of how to handle the test composition compared to the market reference in a production line, since the skilled person will know to work in temperature ranges which correlates with the crystallization temperatures of the fat composition. Example 3 - Fatty acid composition to improve the functionality Table 3 - Optimized ratio between C22, C18 and C16 Typical values: [Image disponible dans le document PDF, Image available in the PDF document] * value obtained by dividing the amount of C22 by the amount of C18 and then dividing this with the amount of C16 present in the composition / reference Table 3 refers to the ratio of C16, C18 and C22 in one version of the test composition of the present invention, compared to a commercially available reference composition (supplied by AAK Sweden to the global aquaculture industry) and the market reference (100% HEAR). The present invention provides a super optimized ratio between the critical fatty acids. An optimized ratio of C16, C18 and C22 provides the foundation for a structure building functionality. The method applied for this measurement is IUPAC 2.304. Example 4 – Separation of the liquid fat phase from feed pellets i.e. oil leakage The extent of oil leakage from a feed pellets was accelerated by placing pellets onto absorption papers / filter paper, store these for a short time period at an elevated temperature, and then determine the amount of oil which had been released. Method description: 10 g of feed pellets are carefully weighed and placed in the center of the filter paper dish. Samples of pellets are tested in three replicates. The Petri dishes are stored in a heat cabin at 40°C. After 24 hours the pellets are carefully removed from the filter paper and the filter papers are once again weighed carefully. Leakage is then calculated based upon the increase in weight of the filter paper. Table 4 – Separation of the liquid fat phase from feed pellets i.e. oil leakage performed on industry scale produced pellets [Image disponible dans le document PDF, Image available in the PDF document] Table 4 shows the results from storage tests of industry scale produced fish feed pellet based on the fat composition of the present invention (test composition) and a commercially available market reference supplied by AAK Sweden to the global aquaculture industry (reference composition). The test clearly indicates that the test composition, used in the same recipe and with the same processing parameters, has an improved functionality to prevent oil leakage from the pellets during storage under harsh conditions. The test composition reduces the oil leakage by more than 15%. Overall conclusion Results from above described examples demonstrates that the fat composition of the present invention function as an oil-binding ingredient and demonstrates its ability to fulfill the demands on functionality and properties, e.g. building structure and strong networks with the other ingredients in the pellet, performance during production of pellet, prevention of fat leakage and production problems, prevent disruption of the feed stream, and storage conditions. The results from lab scale evaluations are very well correlated to the performance of an oil- binding ingredient in full scale (factory production of pellets).

Claims

<pat:ClaimStatement>CLAIMS< / pat:ClaimStatement> <pat:Claims com:id="claims"> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00001"> <pat:ClaimNumber>1< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>1. A free fatty acid and / or triglyceride fat composition suitable as an oil binding ingredient for use in an animal feed composition, wherein said fat composition comprises: 10-35 % by weight of total fatty acids being C22, 50-80 % by weight of total fatty acids being C18 and 1-20 % by weight of total fatty acids being C16. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00002"> <pat:ClaimNumber>2< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>2. The fat composition according to claim 1, wherein the fat composition is fully hydrogenated. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00003"> <pat:ClaimNumber>3< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>3. The fat composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fat composition comprises 10-30% by weight of total fatty acids being C22. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00004"> <pat:ClaimNumber>4< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>4. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fat composition comprises 10-28 % by weight of total fatty acids being C22. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00005"> <pat:ClaimNumber>5< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>5. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fat composition comprises 12-28 % by weight of total fatty acids being C22. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00006"> <pat:ClaimNumber>6< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>6. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the fat composition comprises 15-23 % by weight of total fatty acids being C22. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00007"> <pat:ClaimNumber>7< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>7. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the fat composition comprises 18-22 % by weight of total fatty acids being C22. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00008"> <pat:ClaimNumber>8< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>8. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the fat composition comprises 60-80% by weight, of total fatty acids being C18. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00009"> <pat:ClaimNumber>9< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>9. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the fat composition comprises 60-76 % by weight of total fatty acids being C18. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00010"> <pat:ClaimNumber>10< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>10. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the fat composition comprises 50-73 % by weight of total fatty acids being C18. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00011"> <pat:ClaimNumber>11< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>11. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the fat composition comprises 50-70 % by weight of total fatty acids being C18. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00012"> <pat:ClaimNumber>12< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>12. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the fat composition comprises 55-68 % by weight of total fatty acids being C18. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00013"> <pat:ClaimNumber>13< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>13. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the fat composition comprises 1-17 % by weight of total fatty acids being C16. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00014"> <pat:ClaimNumber>14< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>14. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the fat composition comprises 1-15 % by weight of total fatty acids being C16. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00015"> <pat:ClaimNumber>15< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>15. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the fat composition comprises 1-11 % by weight of total fatty acids being C16. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00016"> <pat:ClaimNumber>16< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>16. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the fat composition comprises 5-11 % by weight of total fatty acids being C16. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00017"> <pat:ClaimNumber>17< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>17. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the fat composition comprises 7-11 % by weight of total fatty acids being C16. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00018"> <pat:ClaimNumber>18< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>18. The fat composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fat composition comprises 10-30 % by weight of total fatty acids being C22 and 60-80 % by weight of total fatty acids being C18 and 1-20 % by weight of total fatty acids being C16. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00019"> <pat:ClaimNumber>19< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>19. The fat composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fat composition comprises 18-22 % by weight of total fatty acids being C22 and 55-68 % by weight of total fatty acids being C18 and 7-11 % by weight of total fatty acids being C16. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00020"> <pat:ClaimNumber>20< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>20. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the C22 fatty acid is in the form of behenic acid. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00021"> <pat:ClaimNumber>21< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>21. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the C18 fatty acid is in the form of stearic acid. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00022"> <pat:ClaimNumber>22< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>22. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the C16 fatty acid is in the form of palmitic acid. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00023"> <pat:ClaimNumber>23< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>23. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the fatty acids are derived from a vegetable oil or fat. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00024"> <pat:ClaimNumber>24< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>24. The fat composition of claim 23, wherein the fatty acids are derived from an oil or fat from sunflower, karuka, camelina, carinata, olive, corn, safflower, kokum, sesame, rice bran, shea, cocoa, illipe, sal, mango, evening primrose, borage, flaxseed / linseed, canola, rapeseed, high-erucic rapeseed, cotton seed, ground nut, palm, palm kernel or soybean. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00025"> <pat:ClaimNumber>25< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>25. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein the fatty acids are derived from oil or fat from carinata, karuka, canola, rapeseed, high-erucic rapeseed, cotton seed, palm, palm kernel or soybean. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00026"> <pat:ClaimNumber>26< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>26. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 25, wherein the fatty acids are derived from oil or fat from canola, rapeseed, high erucic rapeseed, cotton seed, carinata or soybean. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00027"> <pat:ClaimNumber>27< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>27. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 26, wherein said fat composition does not contain fatty acids derived from palm oil or palm kernel oil. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00028"> <pat:ClaimNumber>28< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>28. The fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 27, wherein said fat composition is an oil binding ingredient. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00029"> <pat:ClaimNumber>29< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>29. An animal feed composition comprising a total lipid content of from 10 to 60 wt%, wherein said total lipid content comprises at least 40 % by weight of a liquid oil, and < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00030"> <pat:ClaimNumber>30< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>30. The animal feed composition according to claim 29, wherein said total lipid content is distributed within the animal feed composition. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00031"> <pat:ClaimNumber>31< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>31. The animal feed composition according to any one of claims 29 to 30, wherein the total lipid content comprises at least 50 % by weight of a liquid oil. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00032"> <pat:ClaimNumber>32< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>32. The animal feed composition according to any one of claims 29 to 31, wherein the total lipid content comprises at least 60 % by weight of a liquid oil. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00033"> <pat:ClaimNumber>33< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>33. The animal feed composition according to any one of claims 29 to 32, wherein said total lipid content comprises 0.01 to 2 % by weight of the fat composition of any one of claims 1 to 28. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00034"> <pat:ClaimNumber>34< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>34. The animal feed composition according to claim 33, wherein said total lipid content comprises 0.01 to 1 % by weight of the fat composition. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00035"> <pat:ClaimNumber>35< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>35. The animal feed composition according to claim 33 or 34, wherein said total lipid content comprises 0.01 to 0.5 % by weight of the fat composition. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00036"> <pat:ClaimNumber>36< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>36. The animal feed composition according to any one of claims 29 to 35, wherein the animal feed composition is an aquafeed composition. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00037"> <pat:ClaimNumber>37< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>37. The animal feed composition according to claim 36, wherein the aquafeed composition is a fish feed composition. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00038"> <pat:ClaimNumber>38< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>38. The animal feed composition according to any one of claims 29 to 37, wherein the composition is in form of a pellet. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00039"> <pat:ClaimNumber>39< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>39. Use of the fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 28 as an ingredient in an animal feed composition. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00040"> <pat:ClaimNumber>40< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>40. Use of the fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 28 as an ingredient in an aquaculture feed composition. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00041"> <pat:ClaimNumber>41< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>41. Use of a fat composition comprising 18-22 % by weight of total fatty acids being C22 and 55-68 % by weight of total fatty acids being C18, and 7-11 % by weight of total fatty acids being C16 in the manufacture of an animal feed composition. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00042"> <pat:ClaimNumber>42< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>42. Use of the animal feed composition according to any one of claims 29 to 38 for feeding an animal. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00043"> <pat:ClaimNumber>43< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>43. Use of the animal feed composition according to any one of claims 29 to 38 for feeding a fish. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> < / pat:Claims>