New palm-free fat supplement set to increase milk yields and quality

The product is being launched after research proved the benefits of the new palm-free fat supplement, which UFAC-UK called “​overwhelmingly positive.”​

Enviro-lac is manufactured from locally sourced vegetable oils together with marine oils.

The research compared the use of Enviro-lac against a palm-oil based control diet in 50 dairy cows. It found that dairy cows were more efficient when fed on the new fat supplement, increasing milk yields and protein concentrations, with no difference in dry matter intake.

Carbon footprint

The feed carbon footprint of Enviro-lac was approximately one third of the footprint of the control palm-based supplement, reducing the feed carbon footprint per kg of milk by 11%.

UFAC-UK said the new supplement has the “potential to transform”​ dairy sector performance and sustainability credentials.

Robert Jones, UFAC-UK managing director, said that the new supplement will remove the need for palm oil and reduce the reliance on soy.

“We are launching it to our sales force on August 23. We think we are only one in the market with an alternative to the palm oil product,” ​he told FeedNavigator.  

“It is a sustainable source and it increases production in terms of increasing milk output. It increases the quality of the milk in terms of active protein and it reduces the CO2.”​

Significant results

Professor Phil Garnsworthy of the Centre for Dairy Science Innovation at the University of Nottingham, who conducted the research said the results were “significant.”​

“There were 1.6 liters more milk for the same amount of fat. They didn’t change their feed intake so it was more efficient,”​ he said.

“We thought we would be able to replace a standard fat with the new fat and we would get the same performance. If that was the case, we would have been quite happy because the new fat has a lower carbon footprint.”​

According to UFAC-UK, the initial results pointed to a potential financial benefit to the entire UK dairy herd in excess of £85m (US$102m), based on the market prices when the research was unveiled in May for the products under trial and liquid milk.

Enviro-lac will be sold through feed merchants or feed compounders.

The Centre of Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL) supported project utilized the research capabilities with the Centre for Dairy Science Innovation (CDSI) at Nottingham University.