Kemin secures US patent over control of ASF in feed
The company has highlighted how new data generated by Kansas State University (K-State) and Dr Megan Niederwerder demonstrated that Sal CURB effectively inactivates ASFv in livestock feed.
The data in support of the patent application, Mitigating the Risk of African Swine Fever Virus in Feed with Antiviral Chemical Additives, was recently published in the Transboundary and Emerging Diseases journal.
The research was conducted at the Biosecurity Research Institute at K-State, which is a biosafety level-3 facility and one of only two locations in the US that can handle and conduct scientific studies with the virus.
Kemin said that by using a blended solution of formaldehyde and propionic acid, known to eliminate mold and pathogens, Sal CURB plays an important role in reducing biosecurity risks.
Kristi Krafka, vice president, regulatory affairs and quality assurance, Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health, North America, told FeedNavigator the company has also submitted additional patent applications for global consideration related to Sal CURB and ASFv control in feed.
Pathogen control
Sal CURB, she explained, is a blend of aqueous formaldehyde 37% solution and propionic acid. The product is backed by 25 years of research, efficacy and safety at Kemin, she added.
The application of Sal CURB involves interventions in extraction and rendering plants, feed mills, storage facilities, farms, transport vehicles and/or equipment. It is labeled to maintain the Salmonella-negative status of complete feeds and feed ingredients for up to 21 days and controls mold in feeds or feed ingredients, outlined Krafka.
“Producers who evaluate current research regarding the survival of viral pathogens in animal feed ingredients under transboundary shipping models, as well as the demonstrated efficacy of Sal CURB, may choose to use this product as part of a comprehensive biosecurity program,” she said.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of formaldehyde for application on livestock and poultry feeds and feed ingredients. The use rate is 6.5 lbs. (3kg) per ton of complete feed.
For livestock producers and manufacturers responsible for meat, milk and egg production, pathogen control is essential to managing possible biosecurity risks like ASFv, which has been reported throughout China and in several other countries across Asia, Europe and Africa. Breaches in biosecurity can impact food safety, consumer trust and lead to lost production, ultimately impacting the global food supply chain with significant economic implications, commented Kemin.
A research team including Dr Scott Dee, director of research at Pipestone Veterinary Clinic, Dr Niederwerder and additional colleagues at K-State, previously demonstrated that an array of viral pathogens could survive in feed ingredients under simulated transboundary shipping models.
Among the pathogens examined in the study, ASFv was shown to remain stable and infective in a wide array of feed ingredients, posing a high threat to the global agriculture industry, said Kemin.
Dr Niederwerder’s continuing research on ASFv was then able to hone in on plausible means of infection via feed and water. While feed is not the only transmission route for ASFv, the high number of animal exposures to this vector increases the likelihood of infection dramatically, said the company.
