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Canola meal is locally produced, reliable protein source for dairy farmers in Australia. It is valued for its stable supply chain and reduced freight costs compared to imported soybean meal. The amino acid profile in canola meal most closely matches the profile of milk protein.

Compared to soybean meal, canola meal contains more methionine and histidine, and dairy cows utilize canola meal protein very efficiently, consistently resulting in lower milk urea nitrogen values in cows fed canola meal. Despite lower crude protein level, canola meal delivers more available rumen-undegradable protein (RUP)-also known as bypass protein. The higher canola meal levels supported greater milk yields with lower daily methane emissions (Table 1). This methane reduction occurs because canola meal contributes to increased dietary fat (approximately 3.5% methane reduction per 1% increase in fat).

Diet canola meal (%) 0 8 14 24
fat corrected milk kg/d) 42.00 43.09 43.5 44.72
Methane (g/d) 489 475 463 461

 

Table 1. The effect of canola meal inclusion on milk yield and methane emission

Exogenous fibrolytic enzymes such as cellulose and xylanases are feed additives that increase the hydrolytic capacity of rumen, primarily by enhancing bacterial attachment, stimulating rumen microbial populations, and working synergistically with ruminal hydrolases. Exogenous fibrolytic enzymes break down components in feed that would otherwise pass through the rumen poorly digested. By improving fibre degradation, exogenous fibrolytic enzymes increase the availability of energy and nutrients from fibrous feeds-of particular value when canola meal is included in high-forage or pastured-based rations. When canola meal is included as protein sources in high-forage or pasture-based dairy systems, adding exogenous fibrolytic enzymes can help unlock the energy value of both the canola meal itself and surrounding forage.

In general, canola meal is included at 25% of the grain mix on a dr matter basis will likely yield an extra 2.6 kg milk per cow per day. Adding a specific fibrolttic enzyme could provide an additional 1.1 to 1.9 kg milk per cow per day.

A study compiled by our Redox Animal Nutritionists.

It is well known that layer chicken producers often choose diets with low nutrients levels to reduce feed cost. However, modern laying strains presently have a small appetite and cannot actually adjust feed intake according to dietary density. It is critical for layer chicken producers to supply sufficient energy and nutrients with relatively low nutrients levels.

Based on a study conducted in Spain in 2012, when the dietary energy level was reduced by 100 Kcal/kg, there is no significant difference in feed intake but the diet with the lower energy level reduced egg production by 3%. Therefore, the net income for a layer chicken farm is strongly related to feed conversion ratio (FCR, kg Feed/kg egg). It is concluded in this study that brown egg-laying hens respond with increases in egg production to increases in energy level of the diet up to 2850 kcal/kg. However, when we calculate the net income per hen (Figure 1 and Figure 2),  it is clearly shown that if egg price is relatively cheaper (when egg price is 2 $/kg), the optimal FCR is 2.05, indicating 2650 kcal/kg energy level could achieve the highest income; if egg price is relatively high (when egg price is 4 $/kg), the optimal FCR would be 1.98, indicating that 2720 Kcal/kg energy level could obtain the highest income.

In recent years, adding feed enzymes such as glucose oxidase and β-mannanase to layer chicken diets significantly increased egg production by either increased feed intake β-mannanase) or improved nutrient digestibility (Glucose oxidase), suggesting that even if egg price is relatively cheaper, supplementation of these two enzymes to cheaper layer chicken diets with low energy levels will increase net income.

Figure1 and Figure 2: Net income $ per hen in response to FCR

A study compiled by our Redox Animal Nutritionists.

Protease is an exogenous enzyme added to broiler feed to improve protein digestion, but its value extends far beyond simply breaking down dietary protein. It is a strategic tool used to enhance nutrient efficiency, reduce metabolism costs, support gut health, and lower both feed costs and environmental impact.

Adding exogenous protease to broiler chicken diets could increase ileal digestibility of crude protein (CP) by 3-8%by hydrolysing complex proteins into absorbable peptides and amino acids; degrade trypsin inhibitors, lectins, and antigenic proteins such as glycinin and β-conglycinin, allowing to reduce immune activation and gut inflammation; reduce pancreatic endogenous amino acids losses by preventing pancreatic hypertrophy and reducing excessive enzyme output; reduce undigested protein in the hindgut to limit substrate for pathogenic bacteria like Clostridium perfringens.

Because protease spares significant amounts of endogenous amino acids, this spare effect contributes directly to the “matrix values” used in feed formulation. Based on the ideal amino acids profile, the modern broiler chicken performance is mainly driven by the dietary digestible lysine levels. Compared with the Aviagen recommendation, increasing 3% of standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lysine level will usually increase chicken body weight by 175 grams in 42 days of post hatching period and reduce feed conversion ratio (FCR) by 2 points. On the other hand, increasing 3% of SID lysine level will increase feed cost by 12 AUD/MT.

Based on the study conducted in the University of Sydney, after adding phytase, xylanase to wheat-soybean meal- canola meal diet,  VTR’s protease supplementation could spare 2.7% of SID lysine level or save the feed cost about 10 AUD /MT but will not improve the chicken performance. However, if this protease tops up the current feed formulation, it will increase chicken body weight gain by 158 grams and improve FCR by 1.8 points.

It is noteworthy that in the feed formulation with protease supplementation, the ideal amino acids profile must ensure that SID lysine is the first limiting amino acid and any other single amino acid deficiency will depress chicken performance (Figure 1). Adding protease to diets with unbalanced amino acids profile has no benefits on chicken performance. Interestingly, when dietary SID tryptophan to lysine ratio increased from 0.16 (ideal amino acid profile) to 0.22, it significantly improved FCR (Figure 2).

In addition, dietary SID cysteine (Cys) proportion in SID sulphur amino acids (Met+Cys) also influence the effect of protease supplementation. When the chicken diet contains the higher meat and bone meal, it will result in the lower proportion of SID Cys in SID Met+Cys. Adding Protease to this diet may improve chicken immunity but no obvious effect on chicken performance. However, when the chicken diet contains the higher feather meal, it will result in the higher proportion of SID Cys in SID Met+Cys. Adding protease to this diet will significantly improve the chicken performance.

Figure 1. The effect of single amino acids deficiency on chicken body weight gain (g/birds, 15-35 days of age).

Figure 2. The effect of higher dietary tryptophan level on chicken FCR (15-35 days of age)

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for salmon, acting as a key component of antioxidant enzyme (glutathione oxidase, GPx), supporting immune function, growth and stress resistance.  GPx acts along with Vitamin E to function as a biological antioxidant to protect polyunsaturated phospholipids in cellular and subcellular membranes from peroxidative damage. The function of GPx is complementary to that of Vitamin E, which is a lipid soluble antioxidant. Se also enhances T-cell proliferation and antibody production to reduce susceptibility to bacterial and viral infections.

Se levels in fish meal are generally high. However, due to the increase replacement of fish meal with plant ingredients, it may be necessary to supplement Se to meet the physiological requirement of salmon fish. A dietary deficiency of Se has been generally reported to resulted in muscle degeneration and increased mortality under stress.

Interestingly, the toxicity of Se was established well before its dietary essentiality. Therefore, U.S. FDA allows Se supplementation of up to 0.3 ppm from sodium selenite or sodium selenate. In salmon fish, supplemented yeast derived Se appears to have a higher bioavailability and tissue accumulation. Therefore, European Food Safety Authority limited supplemental yeast derived Se to 0.2 ppm.

Salmon feed pellets can be formulated with selenium to help support antioxidant defence, immunity, growth and stress resilience in modern aquaculture diets.

It is noticed that the dominant forms of Se in fish meal and plant ingredients are seleno-methionine and seleno-cysteine. Commercial organic forms of Se include seleno-methionine and yeast derived Se. In extrusion processing, yeast derived Se is more thermal stable. Redox is now providing 3000 ppm and 2000 ppm yeast derived Se containing seleno-methionine 55% and 75%, respectively.

In summary, selenium plays a vital role in supporting salmon health, particularly through its antioxidant, immune and stress-protection functions. As aquaculture diets continue to shift away from fish meal toward plant-based ingredients, targeted selenium supplementation becomes increasingly important to maintain optimal performance and reduce the risk of deficiency-related health issues. Given the narrow margin between selenium requirement and toxicity, selecting a safe, stable and bioavailable source is critical. Yeast-derived selenium offers a practical solution in salmon nutrition, combining strong bioavailability with thermal stability during feed processing, making it a valuable option for modern feed formulations.

A study compiled by our Redox Animal Nutritionists.

Weaning is a major physiological and immunological crisis for piglets. This abrupt transition from sow’s milk to solid feeds causes a combination of stressors. For example, the small intestine undergoes severe villus atrophy, with villus height reducing by up to 75% within 24 hours. The tight junctions between gut cells weaken, increasing intestinal permeability.  This allows toxins and pathogens to pass into the blood stream, triggering inflammation that diverts energy and nutrients away from the growth.

Soybean meal is good source of protein but contains trypsin inhibitors and other anti-nutritional factors, resulting the impaired digestion and the inflammation. It also contains large, complex proteins that are hard for weaned piglets to break down with their immature digestive systems. Nextide is the blend of soybean meal fermented by bacillus spp. bacteria (BF-SBM), functional amino acids and nucleotide. BF-SBM can reduce trypsin inhibitors to near zero and break down the major antigenic proteins (Figure 1). In BF-SBM, the complex protein is pre-digested into smaller peptides and free amino acids, which are much easier and faster for the piglet to absorb (Figure 2).

Figure 1. The effect of BF-SBM on protein-based anti-nutritional factors

Figure 2. The effect of BF-SBM on peptide (< 30 kDa) production (%)

Recently CJ conducted a 28 days of trial in Vietnam and results were published in Journal of Animal science (2024).  The standard, positive control diet was formulated including 3% fish meal and 2% plasma protein. The negative control was not including animal proteins. The other four treatments used 5% Nxtide to replace 3% fish meal, 3% fish meal and 1% plasma protein, 2% plasma protein or 3% fish meal and 2% plasma protein, respectively. Adding 5% Nextide to replace 3% fish meal and 2% plasma protein significantly increased the daylit weight gain (Figure 3) probably due to increased villus height and reduced diarrhea rate (Figure 4).

Figure 3. The effect of Nextide on the body weight gain (g/d/head)

Figure 4. The effect of Nextide on Villus height (µm) and Diarrhea rate (%)

A study compiled by our Redox Animal Nutritionists.

Potato starch is a highly functional, plant-derived ingredient used wherever manufacturers need dependable thickening, binding, and texture control. Extracted and refined from potatoes, it’s valued for its strong water-binding capacity, high viscosity potential, and neutral sensory profile, making it a practical choice across various applications, including food processing, pharmaceuticals, paper and packaging, and industry.

What Makes Potato Starch Different?

While starches can look similar on a spec sheet, potato starch often behaves differently in formulation. It can thicken efficiently, contribute a smooth mouthfeel, and deliver a clean, bright appearance in many systems. Its ability to bind water is another reason it’s commonly selected, supporting texture consistency and stability throughout processing and storage.

Key functional strengths (application and grade dependent):

Where Potato Starch Is Used

Food and Beverage
In food manufacturing, potato starch is widely used to build body, manage water, and stabilise texture. It performs well in soups, sauces, gravies and ready meals, where it supports viscosity and consistency. It is also commonly used in formulations where structure and bite matter—such as processed foods, coated products, and certain snack systems.

Typical food applications include:

Pet Food Applications

Potato starch is commonly used in dry extruded pet food (kibble) as a carbohydrate source and functional binder. In extrusion, it helps form kibble structure, and research has shown that replacing corn with potato starch can increase kibble expansion and reduce density, while also delivering higher digestibility and metabolizable energy than corn and improving palatability (notably in puppy diets).

In pet food, potato starch is typically used to:

Paper, Packaging and Adhesives

Beyond food, potato starch plays an important role in paper and packaging value chains. It’s used to improve paper strength and surface characteristics, and it can be part of starch-based adhesive systems used in converting applications such as corrugated board and paper packaging.

Industrial uses often include:

Innovation and Performance Trends

Modern manufacturing conditions are pushing starch performance requirements further, with higher line speeds, tighter quality tolerances, and more demanding processing environments. As a result, many applications move beyond native starch toward grades tailored for stability under real-world conditions, such as heat, shear, acidity, or freeze–thaw cycling.

What this can enable (depending on grade):

Clean-label reformulation is also a continuing trend in many food categories. Where the application allows, potato starch is often considered a familiar ingredient that supports texture goals without overcomplicating the label.

Environmental Considerations

Potato starch is derived from a renewable agricultural source, and in some applications it can contribute to more resource-efficient production, particularly where its thickening and water-binding performance supports improved yield and reduces rework or waste. As with any agricultural ingredient, overall sustainability outcomes depend on sourcing, processing, and end-use, but the shift toward bio-based inputs remains a strong direction across both food and industrial markets.

Why Source Potato Starch Through Redox?

Selecting the right potato starch isn’t only about “starch vs starch”; it’s about matching the grade to your process conditions, including temperature, shear, pH, storage requirements, and the texture your customers expect. Redox supports manufacturers across food, pharmaceutical and industrial markets with reliable supply and practical guidance on product selection.

In addition to native potato starch, Redox can also source and supply options tailored to specific performance and labelling requirements, including:

If you’d like help choosing the right potato starch for your application, or you’re looking to optimise texture, stability, or processing performance, contact Redox via our website contact form or reach out to your local Redox representative.

The modern broiler chicken performance is mainly driven by the digestible lysine levels. Based on the recent study conducted by the University of Sydney, increasing 3% digestible lysine level will improve chicken body weight by 175 grams within 42 days. It will also increase the feed cost by 15, 17, 13, and 13 AUD per MT feed, in the starter, grower, finisher, and withdrawal period, respectively.    

Exogenous protease supplementation in broiler chicken diets have primarily been attributed to improvements in protein and amino acids digestibility.  Therefore, nutritionists are likely to know if adding the exogenous protease could save some amino acids and quantify its amino acids digestibility. In particular, after non-starch polysaccharides enzymes and phytase have been widely accepted in the feed formulation, there is still the room for the protease to further improve the amino acids digestibility.

In the University of Sydney, a study with three treatments was conducted. Standard, positive control (PC) diets were formulated to meet or exceed the 2019 Aviagen Ross 308 nutrition specifications and negative control (NC) diets were formulated with a 5% reduction in both crude protein and digestible essential amino acids. A third treatment group consisted of the NC supplemented with the exogenous protease.  All diets contained 1000 FTU phytase and 4000 U of xylanase.

Overall broiler growth to 35 days post-hatch exceeded the Ross 2019 male performance objectives by 10.6% for weight gain (2580 versus 2333 g) and was superior by 5.66% in FCR (1.401 versus 1.485).  The body weight gain (1-35 days) result was show in Figure 1. It is clearly shown that adding the exogenous protease can not compensate 5% amino acids reduction but can save 2.7% amino acids. Therefore, adding the VTR’s  exogenous protease to diets containing phytase and xylanase can still increase 158 grams per bird within 42 days and save the cost more than 10 AUD/MT feed.

Fig 1. Bodyweight gain in male Ross 308 broilers from 1-35 days post-hatch (P = 0.018).

Fig 2. The body weight gain in response to increased digestible lysine levels.

Nucleotides are organic molecules that serve as the building blocks of nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA. They are essential for energy transfer and cell signalling. Fish meal and yeast products are full of nucleotides. Traditionally, nucleotides are not considered to be an essential nutrient because they can be produced endogenously under normal conditions via a salvage pathway.

However, in shrimp diets containing higher plant ingredients, the endogenous production of nucleotides may be insufficient to fulfill its demand in certain conditions such as infection, stress, or during rapid growth. Therefore, synthetic nucleotides such as AMP, IMP and GMP are usually supplemented to improve energy metabolism.

Nucleotides can improve hepatopancreas function and spare energy needed for de novo synthesis, redirecting it toward growth. Shrimp fed 0.2% nucleotides usually show 10-15% higher weight gain.

Nucleotides can stimulate Toll-like receptors and activate pro-inflammatory cytokines to enhance disease resistance. In Vibrio challenging situation, adding 0.2% nucleotides reduced the mortality by 30%.

Nucleotides supplementation could support gill regeneration during ammonia/ osmotic stress. Adding 0.1% nucleotides was reported to achieve 50% higher survival rate after salinity swings.

In a recent trial conducted in Thailand, adding 0.5 g/kg nucleotides containing IMP, AMP, and GMP improved the body weight gain of Pacific white shrimp by 19% (1.73 g vs 2.06 g). The survival rate was increased by 6% (83.33% vs 89.58%)          

A study compiled by our Redox Animal Nutritionists.

Redox is proud to be the exclusive distributor for Olmix’s advanced Mycotoxin binder range in Australia and New Zealand. Mycotoxins, particularly hard-to-bind mycotoxin, pose a significant threat to livestock productivity, health, and welfare.

To address this challenge, Olmix has developed a series of highly effective binders tailored to varying levels of contamination and toxin profiles.

MT.X : Precision Binding for Aflatoxins and Endotoxins

MT.X is a specially processed Montmorillonite clay engineered for high-affinity adsorption of small, rigid toxins, particularly aflatoxins and endotoxins. It is designed as a base-level binder that outperforms standard bentonite by offering improved protection without interfering with nutrient absorption. MT.X features:

MT.X AA : Broad-Spectrum Protection with Gut Support

MT.X AA builds on the MT.X platform by incorporating a unique blend of green (Ulva sp.) and red (Solieria sp.) marine macroalgae, this in combination with the Montmorillonite clay forms Olmix’s patented Algoclay® technology.  

This addition expands binding capacity to include flexible toxins like zearalenone and ochratoxins. Key benefits include:

MT.X+ : Premium Solution for Hard-to-Bind Toxins

MT.X+ is Olmix’s most comprehensive toxin binder, combining interspaced and micronised Montmorillonite with Algoclay and yeast cell walls. Designed for severe or mixed contaminations, MT.X+ excels at binding difficult mycotoxins such as DON (Deoxynivalenol) and fumonisins. MT.X+ reduces the exposure of the animals to mycotoxins and contributes to maintain optimal technical and economic performance.

Backed by advanced dynamic in vitro modelling (TIM-1 system), MT.X+ delivers:

Support Tools for Risk Management

Olmix offers a free online platform to help producers and nutritionists assess and manage mycotoxin risk. Myco’Kingdom provides access to expert insights, practical tools, and educational resources designed to improve feed safety and binder optimisation across livestock operations.

If you’re looking to replace standard bentonite, broaden your protection strategy, or defend against the toughest mycotoxins, Redox and Olmix offer a solution tailored to your needs.

If you’re seeking a more advanced alternative to standard bentonite or an upgrade to your current mycotoxin binder get in touch with Redox today to explore the benefits of precision-engineered solutions from Olmix.

Gutluk is a natural animal growth promoter (AGP) alternative that regulates intestinal microbiota through inhibition of bile salt hydrolase (BSH). It is developed by CJ Bio via machine learning technology to screen key ingredients as BSH inhibitors (BSHI).  

It is well known that enteric diseases are mostly caused by overgrowth of intestinal pathogens, leading to increased competition for nutrients and reduced productivity.  AGP has been widely used to control the overgrowth of enteric pathogens and increase productivity. It is noticed that the use of AGP significantly reduced BSH activity that is protecting pathogens from bactericidal activity of bile salt. However, due to development of antibiotics resistance in farm animals, lots of AGP alternatives such as prebiotics, probiotics, organic acids, enzymes and plant extracts have been promoted, but only antibiotics and high dose of ZnO and CuSO4 have been shown to inhibit BSH.  Compared with other AGP alternatives, Gutluk  showed super bactericidal effect on Enterotoxigenic E.coli (ETEC), C.perfringens, and S. gallinarum (Table 1). In addition, Gutluk showed greater anti-inflammation and anti-oxidative effects than other AGP alternative (Figure 1).

Table 1. Bactericidal effect of Gutluk on strains of ETEC, C.perfringens, and S. gallinarum

products ETEC C. perfringens S.gallinarum
Gutluk +++ +++ +++
Comp.K ++ + ++
Comp.P + + +

 

Figure 1. Effect of Gutluk on anti-inflammation (IL-8 reduction) and anti-oxidative functions

 

In Indonesia, one commercial trial with 6000 Hy-line hens was conducted to show that after two weeks of adaption period (without Gutluk addition), adding 300 g Gutluk per MT feed significantly increased egg production (Figure 2), daily egg Mass was increased by 4.4% and feed conversion ratio was improved by 9 points. Thus, Gutluk is a natural product inhibiting BSH activity and effectively replaces AGP targeting to control intestinal pathogens and improve the egg production as well.

A study compiled by our Redox Animal Nutritionists.