Flaking: Underrated Feed Technology
Flaking is the 'Feed Technology' that enables cereals and legumes, whose production is rapidly expanding worldwide, to become the most important nutrient in animal nutrition.
One of the factors that make this technology special is that, with the technology used in the production process, more efficiency is obtained compared to other feed production techniques without adding any additives to the processed cereals and legumes. One of the reasons is that from the product the maximum digestibility can be obtained in animal metabolism.
Since flaked product is cooked, the starch content gelatinizes, and it becomes digestible.
Digestibility of the kernel also increases with its new crushed form, as the enzyme contact surface increases in the stomach of the animal.
The fact that flakes are made from very valuable raw materials, such as starch source cereals and protein-rich legumes, increases the amount of intake by the animals, as the flavor formed after the process, ease of consumption and digestion in animals. In this way, it reveals the potential in the genetics of the animal, without causing any damage to the metabolism system. More meat, milk and growth are gathered compared to the same amount of mash feed.
Some companies use ‘Expander’ to cook cereals. But the most economical way to cook the grain is flaking. This have to be considered by the companies which plans to produce cooked feed.
Although this technology is being know very recently in our country, in U.S.A. and Europe, it is widely used.
So How Is 'Flake Feed' Produced?
Issues to be followed in Flake Production:
• Raw material quality
• Cooking
• Flaking
• Drying and cooling
Raw material quality: The cereals to be processed must be checked down to the finest detail in a fully equipped laboratory (Analyzes such as Moisture, Pollution, Starch, Protein, Oil, Aflatoxin must be done at the delivery of the product). Products that do not meet these criteria should not be received.
Product cleaning: The grains should be cleaned in detail with a powerful air suction system and the latest technology sieve. All impurities should be removed; broken kernels (broken kernels are an important deterioration point in the raw product), stone, dust, soil, different products, stalks, cobs etc. Raw materials coming to the factory, may involve up to 10% impurities.
Cooking: The product is cooked with a high-pressure dry steam cooking machine, for not less than 1 hour. The absolute rule is that the steam is dry, the water used for steam is the water that people can drink. Harmful bacteria in the product die during cooking. As the starch is gelatinized with high temperature and long cooking time, digestibility, sterility, maximum benefit from eating and as a result increase in efficiency begin to occur at this point.
Flaking: Undercooking or overcooking of the product are important factors affecting the quality. The product after cooking; structural expansion of the baked product is achieved by applying a very high pressure to increase the contact surface with the enzymes in the stomach of the animal and thereby maximizing its contribution to the animal. Flaking is equally important as correct cooking. The product is brought to a thickness of 0.8 - 1.5 mm and 100% flaked according to customer needs.
Drying and Cooling; The product that comes out of the cooking and crushing process becomes moist and hot. Therefore, the product is taken to the drying section and then to the cooling section. The most important issue here is not to damage the starch while the product is drying. Drying and cooling processes that are not done correctly have the risk of fermentation. This risk can cause swelling or different bad results in animals.
Packaging: The product is sold to the final consumption point in bulk, BigBag and sack form after drying and cooling processes.
Benefits of Flake Feed on Animals:
• Obtaining feed with less cost and higher efficiency.
• With the help of the technology applied in the cooking and flaking process of the product, increased feed surface and reduced feed thickness, increase gelatinization of starch in cereals and enables the enzymes in the stomach of the animal to interact easier and faster. In this way, the potential in animal genetics reveals the maximum increase. With the same amount of feed, more meat or milk is obtained when compared to the other feeds.
• With the help of around 130 degrees of heat and long-term cooking technology, the feed is cleaned from harmful microbes and bacteria and it becomes sterilized.
• In the stomach, it does not become acidic due to starch. For this reason, there is no need to use additional materials (such as sodium bicarbonate and buffer) which cause extra costs. Regular consumption of flake feed eliminates Laminitis (lame foot) disease.
• Because of its beautiful taste and smell, consumption is increased. This results in increase in meat and milk production and rapid growth of the animal.
Flake feed technology fully complies with the principle of “getting higher yields with less cost” which is the biggest target of production. This technology, which has not yet reached the expected levels in our country, is spreading very rapidly in other developed countries of the world.
Recai Balat
YEMTAR A.S.
Area Sales Manager
