Functional yeast for piglets growing in China

In China, several protein feed ingredients are on the market, such as SDPP (Sprayed Dried Plasma Protein), imported fish meal, DPS (Dried Porcine Solubles), high protein whey powder.  However, SDPP has been linked as the possible source for several PED (Porcine Epizootic Diarrhea) outbreaks, such as in Canada in 2014. In the same year, European Union revised the import regulations on porcine blood products to prevent rotavirus transmission through blood products. Meanwhile, the call of complete prohibition of SDPP occurred once again in China.

Use SDPP or not?

Actually, there had been many industry insiders in China pointing a finger at SDPP in relation to the PED outbreak in 2012. After the announcement of CFIA, the entrepreneurs and experts with different views were invited by ‘Pigs Today’ (a livestock industry media in China) to discuss the controversy around the ‘Use SDPP or not’. During the discussion, Dr Shen Shuibao who is the chief technology officer in the feed sector of China Oil & Foodstuffs Corporation, and as a representative of the Chinese feed enterprises made comments about the controversy around using SDPP. He suggested that feed mills not use SDPP – to consider biological safety, though the excellent application results of SDPP can’t be denied. First, the safety of porcine blood can’t be guaranteed by many Chinese SDPP manufacturers with a lower process level. If the virus can’t be inactivated during the process, the pigs would be infected again by SDPP, and there will be a virus mutation and other uncontrollable situations occurring. Second, the effect brought by biological homologies is unpredictable and it would bring risks.

Choice direction of proteins in young animal feed

27% of respondents thinks that the demand for SDPP will be shrinking, because they are worried about its biological safety, according to a market survey released by the China Guangdong feed industry information website recently. None of the respondents believed the annual demand growth of SDPP will be over 5%. It has been a fact that SDPP sales growth is slowing and demand is shrinking.

Extruded soybean meal

This kind of vegetable protein feedstuff usually contains many anti-nutritional factors which will induce piglet intestinal damage and cause diarrhoea. It has been suggested that less extruded soybean meal be used or not used in creep feed. The fermented soybean meal can be the perfect alternative to extruded soybean meal.

SDPP and DPS

The application of SDPP or DPS as the top feedstuff in classic creep feed will finally decrease or be abandoned. It has been suggested that fish meal or yeast protein can be the alternative to SDPP and DPS. But the fish meal is a scarce resource and its price frequently fluctuates. So yeast protein will probably be the best alternative to SDPP and DPS.

Whey powder and milk powder

These two feedstuffs will still be the main ones used in young animal diets in China.

Functional yeast feedstuff

The nutrient ingredients, technology reserves and industrialisation level of functional yeast feedstuff can entirely be excellent protein in the diet of young animals. Angel Yeast Co., Ltd., the largest yeast manufacturer in China, has brought active yeast into the Chinese market in 1998 and functional yeast (compound yeast) since 2004. Functional yeast feedstuff has already been accepted by more and more feed mills due to its excellent application results in young animal diets. By the end of 2013, China’s Ministry of Agriculture moved hydrolysed yeast, yeast cell wall and yeast culture, etc. from the ‘feed additive catalogue’ into ‘feedstuff catalogue’ in order to satisfy market demands for this kind of new feedstuff. This historic change has cleared the way for the healthy development of the yeast feed. In 2015, the market demand for hydrolysed yeast had gone beyond the 20 thousand tonne mark, which means the application of yeast feedstuff had become a trend in China.

The development trend of yeast feedstuff in China

The yeast annual output has reached 410 thousand tonnes in China, and maintains a continuous growth of approximately 30%. The output of yeast feed is nearly 80 thousand tonnes. The development of yeast feed has entered the professional industrial period. The selection of protein feedstuffs will be gradually turned into functional yeast feedstuff, which promotes the continuously developing yeast feed industry.

Animal protein feedstuff has always been the common components in feed formula. However, the market demand for animal protein feedstuff appeared to be shrinking with the deepening understanding of food and biological safety in the animal husbandry industry in China. Although it is inconclusive that porcine epidemic diarrhoea was caused by SDPP, the livestock industry is paying more and more attention to how to replace SDPP in young animal diets in China. The functional yeast feedstuff as an alternative to SDPP has been used more and more in young animal diets. During the third China Biological feed Technology Conference in 2015, Yin Yulong, the academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, showed the hydrolysed yeast replacing SDPP research results, among which were the co-operation projects with Angel. After lots of research and practices, it was found that hydrolysed yeast has significant effect on SDPP replacement in young animal diets. Particularly matching hydrolysed yeast with other protein feedstuff and replacing SDPP can achieve a better effect on promoting growth and feed attraction.

With the expansion and production improvement of the yeast industry, this will certainly promote technological upgrading and developing of the yeast feedstuff. The research direction of yeast feed: Optimisation and screening of yeast strains for different purposes; strengthen the application effect and optimise the production process; balanced and fortified nutrient ratio.

GroPro

Angel has spent more than ten years on the research and application of yeast feed. GroPro is the new yeast feed developed by Angel, which not only provides an excellent protein source, but also provides young animals with functional ingredients such as nucleic acid and small peptide for growth. GroPro is in line with other feedstuff and has been accepted by many feed mill clients. GroPro is gradually becoming the mainstream functional feedstuff in young animal diets in China.