Process Moisture Management Process Moisture Management

 

 

 

Process Moisture Management

Proper process moisture management can deliver significant economic savings for feed millers. Variations in moisture during processing can affect the operational efficiency and the nutritional quality of feed.

How to recognise

Several steps in the feed production process influence moisture content. This may lead to process loss and operational inefficiencies such as decreased pellet durability and reduced throughput (also referred to as shrinkage or loss of bulk).

A common solution is adding water to compensate for losses experienced during production. However, this increases water activity (aW), resulting in higher availability of moisture for harmful microbes to grow.

The challenge is to find a solution to improve moisture levels without increasing chances of microbial growth. Ensuring a deep penetration of moisture inside the feed particle requires surface tension reduction, while simultaneously adding solutions to prevent the growth of harmful microbes, important for a longer shelf-life and nutritional quality.

Impact for feed mill

Ineffective management of process moisture can cause serious problems in the quality of the final feeds. Possible issues include reduced shelf-life, inconsistent nutritional value and increased levels of dust by broken pellets, all of which can impact animal performance and your brand’s image.