Animax, it outlined, consists of hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS) with 74 different rare earth elements (REE). As a supplement, the product is “designed to boost nutrition, health, and immunity of animals through its effectiveness” as a mycotoxin binder, with its goal of reducing the harmful effects of feed-related types of mycotoxins, mainly Aflatoxin B1.
The additive, said the producer, binds to other mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol, ergotamine, fumonisin B1, ochratoxin A, T-2 toxin, and zearalenone, but to a lesser degree. Its binding functionality was tested by a third-party analytical firm, the Triology Laboratory in Germany, said Mark Wareing, MD, Manaseer UK Ltd.
Development process
This is the first feed product that Manaseer, one of Jordan’s largest manufacturing and business groups, has produced itself as a company.
“We have a division - Manaseer Trading - which has been involved in the import and sale of multiple products for the animal feed industry for many years. It has imported and supplied such products into Jordan, the wider Middle East, and Eastern Europe,” said Wareing.
The group, he continued, decided to turn to the minerals it mines and processes to determine if they had application potential within agricultural sectors.
“The Manaseer Group has been investing in the production of materials for a variety of commercial applications since 1999 and it has a state-of-the-art research center with an R&D department staffed with internationally trained scientists from a range of disciplines. With knowledge of the chemical constituents of one of the key minerals we mine and process, at hand, we looked at its application in agriculture, horticulture, hydroponics, and aquaculture owing to the domestic economy being very keen to improve agricultural yields.
“The materials were tested in various animal species and with a range of crops, both in-house and using the services of third-party research centers. These results showed that the material was effective in stimulating growth in plants when applied either in the soil, or via foliar spray, and also that it produced higher growth rates, end weights, health and yields in animals when it was added to their feed.
“These initial results encouraged us to continue developing and testing the material in third party laboratories,” Wareing told FeedNavigator.
The additive, following recent tests at EUROFINS lab in Germany, is demonstrably free from any content of animal origin with dioxin and PCBs content values below the maximum limits mentioned in the Directive 2002/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 May 2002 on undesirable substances in animal feed, said the company.
Global launch
The feed supplement is being launched globally following a series of in-vivo studies. “Distributors will be appointed for those markets where there is not a Manaseer operation, supported by technical expertise at the group's HQ,” said Wareing.
Animax is produced in-house in Jordan. "The facility is fully compliant with all regulations and run under internationally recognised ISO standards. We are about to be HACCP certified and we are in the process of applying for GMP+ and FAMI-QS standards."
The product will be imported to the UK market, for example, directly from Jordan, in 25Kg sacks. "Once the volumes increase we are looking at importing in bulk and packing the material in the UK."
The company, added Wareing, has tried to test Animax at as many dosage levels and in as many types of feed formulations as possible as part of the research and commercialization process. In terms of dosages requirements for feed supplementation of Animax, they vary depending on animal species.
Field trials
Third party field trials, he reported, were conducted at a dairy cattle farm at a dosage rate of 50g of Animax/head/day; the findings, he claimed, showed an increase in feed intake (FI), and immunity of the dairy cattle, along with an improvement of other health and production parameters.
A commercial trial was conducted with Al Rahbeh feed company to explore the effects of Animax mineral supplement on broiler performance. It included a trial at a broiler farm where 2.5 kg Animax/MT of feed resulted in an increase in the feed digestibility, improved immunity and an increase in the overall weight of the chicken, by an average of 8.43%, said the developer.
The results of a trial at a layer farm, using the same dosage level, showed an improvement in gut health, digestibility, and immunity of the chickens, an increase in egg production and an improvement in eggshell quality, especially the shell thickness, said the firm.
Another field trial was conducted at a turkey farm, this time with 3kg of Animax/MT feed being used; the company said the results showed an increase in the coefficient of digestibility, nitrogen utilization rates, and a hike in live bird weight by an average of 7.25% and boosted slaughter weight, by an average of 5.7%.
Third-party field trials evaluating the additive in swine and beef cattle and also in aquaculture production are currently underway, said Wareing.
