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How step-wise innovation leads to sustainable cost savings
HOW STEP-WISE INNOVATION LEADS TO SUSTAINABLE COST SAVINGS
Jean-Paul Ruckebusch, Global Category Manager Enzymes, DSM Nutritional Products Animal Nutrition and Health
The origins of animal farming are different across the world. As such, there are varying regional preferences on the appearance of food, in terms of taste, color, and texture. Animal feed nutrition plays an extremely important role in influencing the animal-derived product characteristics desired by consumers in their food.
Innovating for the future
DSM’s ECO+ scheme applies innovation to create solutions with more value, less environmental impact and clear ecological benefits. These benefits can be created at any stage of the product life cycle, from raw materials through manufacturing and use to potential re-use and end-of-life disposal. Life cycle assessments (LCAs) are therefore an important way to validate the ECO+ scores of a new product. DSM’s Feed Enzymes alliance partner Novozymes performs LCAs on all jointly developed feed enzymes.
Innovation in animal feed ingredients and additives is to a large extent led and restricted by the particular regulations governing animal production in each region e.g. the EU antibiotics ban. We may have to find new ways to tackle old problems; new ways to tackle new problems; or adapt existing technology to solve new problems. In the feed industry, a tiny change can have a massive impact on production.
Incremental innovation is therefore a pragmatic approach to improving feed efficiencies while minimising the risk of any change in the process. What is needed in terms of time, money and understanding?
Practical application
This can be clearly illustrated in changes with phytase feed enzyme technology.
There are a number of points in the life cycle where innovations can bring about changes:
-Improve the catalytic properties. With standard methods of hydrolysis, 80-100% phosphorus can now be liberated. Unless it is 100% every time, there is room for continuous improvement on this percentage.
-Research further the mechanism of action by which phytate modifies epithelial cell walls and acts as an anti-nutritional factor that alters performances. Investigate ways to eliminate phytate from the diet.
-Formulate to ensure the phytase is optimized to exert its effect in the correct area of the gut.
-Contain the cost of production as much as possible without compromising pelleting stability, particle number and size for excellent in-feed homogeneity.
Gather the evidence
For a feed nutrition supplier to do this well, it must have an open-minded attitude and ‘keep its ear to the ground’. There should be ongoing dialogue with customers to make sure all scientific research and development is driven by the economical demands of each region. By reviewing from a global trends perspective and in effect ‘crowd-sourcing’, valuable insight can be gained that allows a robust solution to be quickly developed to solve a problem.
Industry acceptability is dependent on an evidence-based approach and proof that the science works in action. For phytase, it is borne out by the fact that 90% monogastic species are now fed phytase. This was the result of a long term educational process by pioneers that changed the way the industry worked. Hundreds of studies were published to create a convincing body of evidence that showed the effectiveness of feed phytase and demonstrated the importance of adopting tried and tested methods, based on strong science.
Now, there is a granulated phytase (RONOZYME HiPhos GT) that has been formulated to ensure that the enzyme retains its pelleting stability and efficacy even with low phytate concentrations (down to 0.1mM).
Sustainable science
If phosphorus in the diet is utilized more efficiently, then less of this substance is excreted. This reduces the impact of livestock production on the environment, in terms of emissions and regulations.
Only a low amount of inorganic phosphorus is now required if any at all, as the plant derived phosphorus is used more effectively by the animal, thanks to the presence of state of the art phytase and therefore improved availability of phosphorus to the gut. Modern enzyme technology helps producers meet sustainability targets that are not currently recognised globally, but this looks set to change.
EU law limits emissions per production site by law – the maximum amount of phosphorus allowed increases according to increased amount of farmland. Denmark has its own regulations, due to its large export demand for pig products. In the US, some states have mandates on nitrogen and phosphorus effluent levels.
Environmental assessment has been used to compare the environmental impact of producing and using equivalent amounts of RONOZYME® HiPhos (M) and mono calcium phosphate (MCP) in supplying broilers with phosphorus. Eco-friendly animal production is possible, with the help of such phytases. For each 3kg broiler chick, 4.5kg of feed is consumed in a lifetime and that means a lot of manure is produced. When this is multiplied up to the billions of broilers around the world, it’s a problem
RONOZYME HiPhos releases more natural phosphorus from feed. Only 0.02 kg per ton feed RONOZYME HiPhos (M) is required as opposed to 9kg MCP per ton feed. This also drastically reduces environmental emissions / effects when measured in terms of global warming potential, energy consumption, algae bloom, acidification potential. By using incremental innovation to steadily improve enzyme science, animal health and performance can be improved, saving costs and leading to greater business and environmental sustainability.
Forward-looking statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements with respect to DSM’s future (financial) performance and position. Such statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections of DSM and information currently available to the company. DSM cautions readers that such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and therefore it should be understood that many factors can cause actual performance and position to differ materially from these statements. DSM has no obligation to update the statements contained in this press release, unless required by law. The English language version of the press release is leading.