How Do I Decide which Mould Inhibitor Should be Included in My Feeds?

There are many mould inhibitor brands in the feed additives market which claim to work better than all others, writes José Luís Laparra (Nutriad) Mexico. However, not all of them are as efficient as suppliers might claim. What should you look for when selecting a product?

6 January 2016

2 minute read

A common recommendation in the market is to include a dosage rate of 1 Kg/Mt. However, the various products available may contain different concentrations of the active ingredient, like for example propionic acid in its different forms (calcium propionate, ammonium propionate).

Secondly, how can a product containing 10 per cent of the active ingredient be as efficient as another brand containing 50 per cent of the same active ingredient? It gets even more complicated if we compare products with different forms of the active ingredient or products that containing other acids with mould inhibitor characteristics besides propionic acid.

Another problem which complicates the correct dosage recommendation for a mould inhibitor product is the fact that finished feeds may contain different total moisture content, or variations occurs in relative humidity, temperature, physical structure (pelleted, mash) or water activity (Aw). Last, but not least, you will want to consider also the shelf life for the feed to be protected against mould growth.

Nutriad offers a practical test in order to compare different mould inhibitors under the same controlled conditions.

The Mould Inhibitor Efficacy Test: CO2 procedure allows a qualification & quantification of the efficacy of a mould inhibitor in feed.

Mould activity is evaluated by measuring the CO2 concentration in the head space of the jars. The test can be performed in any quality assurance lab with basic equipment, having at least a balance with a 0.1 g accuracy. The rest of the equipment (Plastic jars of 500/1000 ml with lids equipped for CO2 measurements, portable pump specific for CO2 detection tubes, and drägger CO2 detection tubes) will be supplied by Nutriad.

Depending on the feed, and shelf life goal, measurements may be taken every week or maybe every other week during one to three months, and results of the tests will be plotted in a graph. Complete methodology, and training to use the equipment will also be provided by Nutriad.

Through years of experience the Mould Inhibitor Efficacy test has proven to be a practical tool to numerically evaluate if a product will really protect your feed against mould growth.

Nutriad offers MOLD-NIL^TM DRY as an effective product to protect against mould growth in finished feeds. Nutriad will help you to discover how to get the best out of the use of their mould inhibitor by offering you this kind of technical service and the knowledge of our local experts.

MOLD-NIL^TM DRY ADVANTAGES: