top of page
Dry Chemical Powder. Could be a natural

Processing Aids, Preservatives, Colorings and Flavorings

Processing Aids

The pelleting process involves mixing ingredients, applying heat and water to the ingredients to create a mash, and then forcing that mash, under pressure, through a die to create nutritious, palatable and durable pellets (13)(5).  The pellets should be uniform in size and nutritional content.  Processing aids refers to substances added to a mash of feed ingredients that facilitates the pelleting process. 

If you look at the individual ingredients such as ground up forages, cereal grain by-products, oils and oil seed by-products, vitamin and mineral supplement, etc, each has a different physical characteristic in terms of water, protein, fat, fiber, starch content as well as physical form (fibrous material, liquid, powder, granular).  There is a challenge in getting those disparate ingredients to uniformly mix together and then go through a pelleting die without clogging it.  Substances that are processing aids fall into several categories of action:

​

Agent - Action

Anticaking - Added to powders or granulated materials that prevent those materials from forming lumps

Binding - Substance with cohesive properties that pulls together ingredients

Buffer - Keeps the pH of the mash stable

Emulsifying - Prevents fats and oils from separating out of mash mixtures

Humectant - Binds to water and increases water content

Lubricant - Enhances flow through die

Stabilizer - Retards the degradation of ingredients

​

Processing Aid Ingredients


Ammonium Hydroxide      - Buffer


Bentonite     - Anticaking agent (1), Binding agent (5)

Calcium Bentonite     - Anticaking agent (1), Binding agent (5)

Calcium Aluminosilicate     - Anticaking agent (2)

Calcium Carbonate     - Nutrient, Carrier for vitamins, minerals, lubricant for soybean meal

Calcium Lignin Sulfonate     - Binding agent (11) (5)

Calcium Phosphate     - Anticaking (14), Lubricant (4)

Carob (gum)     - Stabilizer (3), Thickening agent (9)

Dicalcium Phosphate     - Lubricant (4)

Diatomaceaous Earth     - Inert carrier (3), Anticaking agent (3)

Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate     - Anticaking agent (2)

Hydrated Calcium Aluminosilicate     - Anticaking agent (14)

Hydrated Sodium Aluminosilicate     - Anticaking agent (2)

Hydrated Sodium Silico Aluminate     - Anticaking agent (2)

Lecithin     - Emulsifying agent (7) (6), Stabilizer (3)

Lignin Sulfonate     - Binding agent (5)

Molasses     - Binding agent, flavoring (9)

Monosodium Phosphate     - Emulsifying agent (3)

Mineral Oil     - Lubricant (3)

Phospholipids (lecithin)     - Emulsifying agent (7)(6)

Propylene Glycol     - Emulsifying agent (3)(11), Stabilizer (11)

Silicon Dioxide     - Anticaking agent (8)

Sodium Aluminosilicate     - Anticaking agent (2)

Sodium Bentonite     - Anticaking agent (1)

Sodium Silico Aluminate     - Anticaking agent (3)

Sodium Bicarbonate     - Buffer (14)

Sodium Sesquicarbonate     - Buffer (14)

Sodium Silico Aluminate     - Anticaking agent (3)

Sorbitan Monostearate     - Anticaking agent (3)

Zeolite     - Anticaking agent (12)


  1. AAFCO.(2017). Official Publication. Feed Terms and Ingredients 73.040

  2. AAFCO.(2017). Official Publication. Feed Terms and Ingredients Subpart C – Anticaking agents

  3. AAFCO.(2017). Official Publication. Feed Terms and Ingredients 73.001 Technical Additives

  4. Axe, D.E. and Behnke, K.C. Phosphate sources in pelleting. Feed Pelleting Reference Guide. Retrieved from http://www.wattagnet.com/Feed_Strategy/.

  5. Castaldo, D. History of Pelleting. Feed Pelleting Reference Guide. Retrieved from http://www.wattagnet.com/Feed_Strategy/.

  6. Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils.(2006). Food Fats and Oils(9th Ed.). New York: Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils

  7. Foodadditivesworld.com. Retrieved 2018, July 26.

  8. AAFCO.(2017). Official Publication. Feed Terms and Ingredients 73.046

  9. Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations. Feedipedia.org.Retrieved 2017

  10. AAFCO.(2017). Official Publication. Feed Terms and Ingredients 73.107

  11. Institute of Medicine. Food Chemical Codex(1996). (4th Ed.). National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.

  12. KMI Zeolite. Zeolite Animal Feed Additive.Kmizeolite.com.retrieved 27, July 2018.

  13. CPM. The Pelleting Process. California Pellet Mill Co.Retrieved from https://www.cpm.net/downloads/Animal%20Feed%20Pelleting.pdf

  14. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Combined Compendium of Food Additive Specifications (JECFA). Retrieved from https://fao.org

Preservatives

The AAFCO 2017 Official Publication definition of a preservative is:


“A substance added to protect, preserve or retard decay, discoloration or spoilage under conditions of use or storage. “(1)


Preservatives are non-nutritive ingredients that extend the useful life of the commercial feed.


Preservative Ingredients


Acetic acid     - Antimicrobial and antifungal (2), component of vinegar


Benzoic Acid     - Antimicrobial (3)

BHA (Butylated hydroxy anisole)     - Antioxidant (3)

BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene)     - Antioxidant (3)

Calcium Citrate     - Antioxidant (4)

Calcium Propionate     - Mold Inhibitor (3)

Citric Acid     - Antioxidant (5)

Ethoxyquin     - Retards oxidation of protovitamin A, Vitamin A and Vitamin E (1)

Fumaric acid     - Flavoring and antimicrobial agent (6)

Potassium Sorbate     - Mold and yeast inhibitor (7)

Proply gallate     - Antioxidant (8)

Proprionic Acid     - Antifungal; also end product of microbial fermentation of carbohydrates in large intestine (9)

Sodium Benzoate     - Antifungal, sodium salt of benzoic acid (10)

Sodium Proprionate     - Antioxidant (11)

Sodium Sulfite     - Antioxidant (12)

Sorbic Acid     - Mold and yeast inhibitor (13)

Tocopherol     - Fat soluble antioxidant (Vitamin E) (14)


  1. AAFCO. (2017). Official Publication. Official Feed Terms.

  2. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database; CID=176, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.gov/compound/176 (accessed July 28, 2018)

  3. Institute of Medicine. Food Chemical Codex (1996). (4th Ed.). National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.

  4. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database; CID=13136, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/13136 (accessed July 28, 2018).

  5. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database; CID=22230, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/22230 (accessed July 28, 2018)

  6. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database; CID=444972, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/444972 (accessed July 28, 2018)

  7. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database; CID=23676745, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/23676745 (accessed July 28, 2018).

  8. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database; CID=4947, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/4947 (accessed July 28, 2018).

  9. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database; CID=1032, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/1032 (accessed July 28, 2018).

  10. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database; CID=517055, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/517055 (accessed July 28, 2018).

  11. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database; CID=2723816, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/2723816 (accessed July 28, 2018).

  12. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database; CID=24437, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/24437 (accessed July 28, 2018).

  13. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database; CID=643460, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/643460 (accessed July 28, 2018).

  14. NRC. (2009). Nutrient Requirements of Horses . (6th Ed.) National Academy Press, Washington D.C.

Colorings and Flavorings

Colorings and flavorings are non-nutritive substances that enhance the appeal of the feed to the consumer and horse, respectively.  Colorings do not enhance the palatability to horses but may play a part in product marketing and consumer appeal (1).  Flavorings are often used to improve feed palatability, either by the flavoring itself or by masking unappealing odor or flavor of other ingredients (1).  Flavorings may also be used to make feed more appealing to consumer (1).

​

Coloring Ingredients

Blue 1

Artificial and Natural Colors

Iron Oxide

Red 40

Yellow 5

Yellow 6

​

Flavoring Ingredients

Anise

Artificial and Natural Flavors

Caramel

Cinnamaldehyde

Fenugreek

Garlic (note that garlic can at 0.2 mg/kg body weight cause oxidative damage to red blood cells in horses (1)

Marjoram

Anise, peppermint, garlic, rosemary oils

Parsley

Rosemary

Sage

Sodium Saccharin

Spearmint

​

  1. NRC. (2009). Nutrient Requirements of Horses. (6th Ed.) National Academy Press, Washington D.C

​

bottom of page