KOFA GRAIN -pH5- Registered in Europe

Addcon´s KOFA GRAIN -pH 5- EU approval as preservative for high-moisture grain re-confirmed and extended to complete feed.

KOFA GRAIN – pH5-, which is a patented composition of sodium benzoate, propionic acid and sodium propionate can now be used in all grains and complete feeds for pigs, ruminants, poultry and horses. The product, which has successfully been in used worldwide for the past years has been granted approval by the EU Commission until March 2023.

“In the beginning we were aiming at finding a unique product for stabilizing moist grain. Today we are marketing a product that is safe, non-corrosive and very effective in preventing microbial spoilage also in complete feeds, and in improving digestion at the same time”, says Kurt Wegleitner from Addcon´s marketing team.

The in-house preservation, storage and preparation of farm produced grain, increases the productivity on an agricultural enterprise, and contributes to the supply of feed with known quality and composition (SANFTLEBEN und DRESCHEL 2003). In very few cases, fresh grain is harvested with a water content which allows a risk-free storage. Once the free moisture content exceeds 14%, and no stabilising measures are implemented, a massive development of microorganisms such as mold and yeast is inevitable. Not only the microbes found on the surface, which are relatively easy to remove, but also the microbes which have already infected the corn underneath the husk play a role, thereby causing a permanent threat to the storage stability.

Storage fungi (such as species of the genus Penicillium and Aspergillus), also find protection in the spaces underneath the husk, which germinate in warm and moist conditions. The result of this development is an extreme rise in temperature.

Hidden Infections in Wheat

Comparison of different preservation methods

During the drying process of cereals, the development harmful microbes are inhibited through dehydration. However a large number become dormant and outlast these conditions, until favourable environmental conditions arise in which they germinate, leading to spoilage.

Due to the continuous rise in energy prices, high resource requirements and avoidable emission levels, the technical drying of fodder cereals is neither an economical nor ecological option.

Preserving moist cereals with concentrated Propionic acid has been tested in practice and is effective. However, due to its strong corrosive character, there is a high risk for the user and equipment during application. Buffering Propionic acid comes comes with a distinct loss of efficiency which needs to be counterbalanced with a higher dose. In addition, strongly buffered products can not be applied in feed with a moisture content of >20% and therefore are not suitable for the preservation of grain maize.

Trend of the heating oil prices in Germany

Innovation & Safety

KOFA GRAIN –pH5 –shows the same effect as aggressive Propionic acid however, it offers the user the advantage of applying a safe and non-corrosive product. Through the excellent complementation of chemical and anti-microbial characteristics of these agents, a safe method for the preservation of cereal and maize with up to 40% moisture content is possible. The selection of preservatives was made on the basis of their inhibitory effect against mould and yeast. Besides Propionic acid and Sodium propionate, KOFA GRAIN-pH5- also contains Sodium benzoate.

The patented manufacturing method and the active buffering of the components which under normal circumstances are not miscible, leads to the good handling and application characteristics of this innovative preservative!
KOFA GRAIN –pH5- is the only preservative with EU-Authorisation (E 700) that compromises of numerous single active substances.

Results

Through extensive and systematic approval studies for the necessary dose of KOFA GRAIN –pH5- , storage tests were conducted at numerous recognized research institutions. Throughout the testing period, the results have consistently shown that the same dose of KOFA GRAIN –pH5- offers the same protection against fungal spoilage as concentrated Propionic acid.

An early harvest independent from wheather conditions, not only reduces the risk of mould infections in the field, thus the formation of mycotoxins. This approach however, requires the subsequent preservation with e.g.: KOFA GRAIN –pH5-

The graphic representation on the right, illustrates the link between harvest date and the concentration of one of the most important Fusarium Toxins in maize: DON (Deoxynivalenol). Similar results have been seen for DON and Zearalenon in wheat (MATTHÄUS a.o.2004)

Earlier harvest means:

Improved hygenic quality
Extension of the harvesting period
Flexible planning, therefore reduction of the peak work periods

The following tables illustrate the influence of KOFA GRAIN –ph5- on the feed quality and the performance of piglets, in comparisons with dried or fresh fodder (STALLJOHANN a.o 2007). For all investigated pathogens, the implementation of the preservative lead to a drastically reduced pathogen count. As a result of the improved feed hygiene of the fodder as well as the effect of the acids in the animal, the use of KOFA GRAIN –ph5- increased the feed intake and live-weight gain.

Traceability

KOFA GRAIN -ph5- offers the advantage, that one of its components (sodium benzoate) is non-volatile and therefore is retained even after a long duration of storage of the treated grain. As a result full traceability of the use of KOFA GRAIN -pH 5- is provided.

KOFA GRAIN is a product with multiple applications. It can be used very effectively in grains and compound feeds as well as in the preservation of silages, high-moisture hay and by-products from the food industry. Numerous studies have shown that feed which is protected by KOFA GRAIN -pH 5- will be safe from microbial deterioration, thereby rendering it a superior dietary component to achieve enhanced performance and better health status.

The product is available throughout all EU member states and other European countries. In addition, KOFA GRAIN -pH 5- has been successfully used in China for a number of years. Just recently Addcon has announced the successful registration of the product also in Russia.