Without needing to make any technical changes in their factory, compound feed businesses can achieve a substantial energy saving by replacing wheat with bread meal in pig feed pellets. That is the result from experimental and practical research.
Both an experimental trial and a practical trial have shown that energy consumption in the press line is reduced when wheat is replaced by bread meal. Alternatively, this can be interpreted as a higher production capacity for a constant energy consumption.
MJA3 covenant – energy-saving in compound feed
Compound feed companies which have joined the Netherlands Enterprise Agency’s Meerjarenafspraak Energie [Energy Long-Term Agreement] have committed themselves to achieving energy savings of 2% each year. Through the use of bread meal in pig feed pellets, as an alternative to wheat, a saving of up to 15% in energy use and an increase in production capacity are achievable. The results of this research are quick to implement because no technical adaptations are necessary in the compound feed factory.
Trial under experimental conditions
A trial commissioned by FeedValid was carried out recently by the German IFF (Research Institute of Feed Technology) in Braunschweig. This is a renowned research institute with over 50 years’ experience in studying mixed feed technology.
For the purposes of the trial, 3 starter feeds for pigs were formulated: A (mix with 40% wheat and 1% palm oil). B (mix with 40% wheat and 2.5% additional palm oil) and C (mix with 40% bread meal and 1% palm oil). Essentially, bread meal has a higher fat content than wheat so this was corrected for in recipe B.
The mixes were pressed into 3 mm pellets with a throughput speed of 200, 250 and 300 kg/hr. 24 hours after pressing, the durability was tested using a Holmen trial.
| A |
B |
C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat (%) | 40 | 40 | 0 |
| Bread meal (%) | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| Palm oil (%) | 1 | 2.5 | 1 |
| Fat content (%) | 3.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
The results show that pressing a bread meal mix consumes 5% less energy compared with a wheat mix supplemented by palm oil. When left uncorrected for fat content, bread meal even results in a 10% lower consumption of energy. The durability of the pellets remains the same.
| A |
B |
C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy consumption (kWh/t) | 22.0 | 21.1 | 20.0 |
| Durability (%) | 96.7 | 96.0 | 96.1 |
Practical trial
A practical trial has been carried out at a compound feed company. A piglet starter mix with 10% wheat was compared with a mix in which wheat was replaced by bread meal. The mixes were pressed into 3.8 mm pellets.
| 10 tonnes/hr | 13 tonnes/hr | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% wheat | 10% breadmeal | 10% wheat | 10% breadmeal | ||
| Energie consumption (kWh/t) | 14.1 | 12.7 | 14.5 | 12.3 | |
| Durability (%) | 95.8 | 95.4 | 94.8 | 94.2 | |
| Pellet temperature (°C) | 76.5 | 73.8 | 74.1 | 71.0 |
The trial shows that intermixing bread meal can lead to a 10 to 15% reduction in energy consumption. These practical results are in line with the results obtained under experimental conditions. Reduced friction in the die also results in a lower pellet temperature after pressing. This prevents deterioration in vitamin and enzyme content.
Conclusion
The intermixture of bread meal both in a small-scale trial scenario and in practice results in lower energy consumption in the press line, even when corrected for fat content. The lubricating properties of bread meal produce a reduction in die friction, with no deterioration in pellet quality. This reduction in friction can deliver a saving in energy consumption of up to 15%, or it is possible to achieve higher production capacity for the self-same energy consumption.
Would you like to know more?
For further information about these trials or about bread meal, please contact Elien Gorisse (nutritionist) or our Sales Department (email or phone +31 85 201 2100 ).
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