Role of Mold Inhibitors in Aquaculture Feeds

Molds are ubiquitous in nature and grow when they find favorable conditions like moisture, temperature and nutrients. Feed is an ideal medium for mold growth as it provides all the essential requirements for their growth. As the raw materials are ground to make feed, the moisture is liberated and the water activity of feed increases. This free water favors mold growth. Once established, molds create their own optimal environment by generating heat and moisture through utilization of starch from feed, liberating moisture and carbon dioxide through an exothermic reaction. The molds grow continuously at the cost of feed nutrients. As a consequence of their growth, they produce several metabolic end products, which are toxic to living animals, known as mycotoxins. The mycotoxins have deleterious effects on both health and performance of livestock, eroding the farm profits. Although the manifestations of mycotoxins become obvious in the form of liver toxicity and often mortality, the same of slow erosion of nutrients is less prominent. This misleads the Nutritionist and the farmer on feed efficiency. Such reduced performance is often attributed to suboptimal farm and management conditions.

The use of antimolds in feed and raw materials started few decades ago with chemicals, dyes, fumigation, sun-drying etc, which although effective, were not efficient in terms of time and costs. Organic acids like Propionic acid have been identified to be highly effective in controlling molds, but were found corrosive and user unfriendly. This lead to evolution of formulated Mold Inhibitors, which offer wider spectrum of coverage and minimal corrosion.

The recent challenge has been a long acting and broad spectrum mold inhibitor that can protect feed and raw materials over longer periods at wide ranges of temperature, moisture and relative humidity. The aqua culture feeds undergo a different set of processing and temperature exposures during feed making and hence pose their own set of challenges. Latest research designs have resulted in development of a specialty formulation that remains unaltered in tougher processing conditions and retain mold inhibiting principles in feed for control of molds instantly and over extended periods of time.

• Amonex® Aqua Liquid is a combination of wetting surface active agents, organic acids and their salts with proven antimold activity.
• Amonex® Aqua Liquid has high PMIE (Propionic Acid Mold Inhibition Equivalent)
• Amonex® Aqua Liquid has low levels of free acids
• Amonex® Aqua Liquid has superior penetration capability into feed and raw materials without increasing the water activity.
• Amonex® Aqua Liquid has sustained release excipients
• Amonex® Aqua Liquid has corrosion and pungency retardants

• Amonex® Aqua Liquid inhibits a wide range of molds in feed and raw materials
• Amonex® Aqua Liquid has minimal loss of active ingredients during extended pelleting of aquaculture feeds
• Amonex® Aqua Liquid controls molds over long periods of storage
• Amonex® Aqua Liquid prevents loss of nutrients and preserves nutrient profile of feed
• Amonex® Aqua Liquid checks mycotoxin production in feed
• Amonex® Aqua Liquid increases storage life of feed
• Amonex® Aqua Liquid improves palatability of feed and performance of aquaculture species
• Amonex® Aqua Liquid prevents dustiness, discoloration and building up of heat in feed
• Amonex® Aqua Liquid has minimal corrosive effects and is user friendly
• Amonex® Aqua Liquid is free from toxicity at recommended levels, easily available and economical in use