Ammonium Propionate Butyrate Feed Preservative Odor Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chemical preservatives for animal feedstuffs, particularly those using propionic acid and its salts, face challenges in inhibiting mold growth while minimizing the release of objectionable odors and maintaining milling efficiency, especially in high-water content products.
Innovation Solution
A method involving an aqueous mixture of ammonium propionate and ammonium butyrate with a specific ratio, combined with a surfactant and terpenes, applied to animal feedstuffs and cooked to produce pelletized feed, which effectively inhibits mold growth while reducing odor release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If propionic acid and its salts are used as preservatives in animal feedstuffs, then mold growth is inhibited, but objectionable odors are released
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical parameters by using specific ratios of propionic acid to butyric acid (1:4 to 4:1) and their salt combinations, along with controlling water content (10-50 wt%), to achieve effective mold inhibition while minimizing objectionable odor release compared to conventional propionic acid-only formulations
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite preservative formulations combining multiple carboxylic acids (propionic acid and butyric acid) and their salt forms (sodium, calcium, ammonium, or potassium salts) to create a synergistic effect that provides superior mold inhibition while reducing odor compared to single-acid systems
2Reliability
If chemical preservatives are added to high-water content feedstuffs, then mold growth is inhibited, but milling efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the water content parameter to a specific range (10-50 wt%) in the preservative formulation, which allows effective mold inhibition in high-moisture feedstuffs while maintaining milling efficiency by preventing excessive moisture-related processing difficulties
3Reliability
If butyric acid is used to inhibit mold growth, then antifungal activity is enhanced, but the smell becomes more objectionable
Solution Approach 1:
The invention carefully controls the ratio of butyric acid to propionic acid (1:4 to 4:1) and the degree of salt conversion (partially or completely) to maximize antifungal activity while minimizing the release of free butyric acid, which is responsible for the objectionable smell, by converting it to less odorous salt forms
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively inhibits mold growth in animal feedstuffs, reduces odor release, and maintains milling efficiency, producing high-quality pelletized feed with improved gelatinization and low energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
applying to a feedstuff an effective growth-inhibiting amount of an aqueous mixture containing ammonium propionate and ammonium butyrate wherein the ratio of C3/C4 species in the mixture is from 80:20 to 70:30
Implementation Method 2
1.5 to 3.0 wt. % of a surfactant
Implementation Method 3
cooking to obtain a pelletized feed with improved gelatinization
Data Source
AI summary
A feedstuff and a method for inhibiting the growth of pathogens in pelleted animal feeds which increases the efficiency of the pelleting process without introducing bad odors into the feed due to butyric acid. Active ingredients include a mixture of butyrate, propionate and surfactants.