Benzoic Acid provides many benefits to the livestock industry.
Since meat suppliers want to make sure that the food that ends up on your plate is nutritious, they have taken efforts to make sure that the gut health of farm animals is top-grade.
This article looks at the many ways in which adding Benzoic Acid (BA) as a preservative in animal feed can be good. We look at studies that have been done, that back up this claim while also talking about how to deal with the possible cons of using the acid.
Let's get straight to it!
A Quick Guide
The History of Benzoic Acid
Cool science fact time!
Did you know that Benzoic Acid has been around for more than 500 years?
Nostradamus, the French scientist discovered it in the 16th century. Throughout the years it has been used widely as a food preservative. People have also used it to make dyes, plastics, cosmetics, and repellents to get rid of bugs.
Benzoic acid made its way into the animal feed industry because of the many benefits it offered for the health of farm animals. Moreover, it is an organic compound that doesn't harm our bodies when we consume benzoic acid-fed meat products.
In fact:
Scientists have discovered that BA in different forms is naturally present in plants and animals. The apples and cranberries you may be eating daily can have BA. The Asian bull elephants you saw at a zoo or a safari can produce BA esters.
So what does it mean to use an acid that has been around for centuries in the animal feed industry?
It means that benzoic acid manufacturers have had centuries to refine a safe and effective formula that is of top-notch quality.
So what are the benefits of using Benzoic Acid? Let's take a look.
The Benefits of Using BA in the Animal Feed Industry
Today, Benzoic Acid manufacturers are producing BA that is environmentally sustainable with a globally certified recipe. Moreover, premium BA reaches the animal feed customer because of the quality control at production factories being fantastic.
Here are a couple of benefits of BA that impress buyers.
It is Great for the Gut Health of Animals
Studies show that using the right amounts of BA can greatly improve what is happening inside the digestive system of animals.
A study done in 2019 showed that it leads to better:
- Digestion
- Absorption of nutrients
- Barriers inside the gut
- Protection against bacteria and fungi
- Immunity
- Regulation of enzyme
It is important to mention that the study looked at what was happening inside the stomach of pigs to show its effects on people.
However, the scientists warn buyers to be careful with the doses they are giving their animals because too much BA can damage the stomach lining.
It Helps to Fight Harmful Microorganism in the Stomach
While we mentioned Benzoic acid which can be used as a preservative helps fight bacteria and fungi in the earlier section, knowing how it helps is educational.
Dangerous pathogens such as coliforms and salmonella enterica present in the tummy of the animal can be fought by BA due to its pKa value being 4.2. The acid attacks the bacteria and improves the health of your farm animals.
Possible Cons of Using Benzoic Acid and How to Counter Them
Here we look at two dangers of using BA and how to deal with them effectively.
Too Much BA Can Damage Gut of Animals
As mentioned above, using too much BA in the food that you feed animals can be bad due to a process called redox status that harms your gut.
So what can be done to protect the health of animals?
A study done by the European Food Safety Authority suggests Benzoic acid should be given to weaned pigs in this manner:
- 5000mg/kg of complete feed (safety margin = 2)
- 10000mg/kg of complete feed (safety margin = 1.5)
Therefore, be smart and use the right amounts to get the best results. More is always better is NOT the answer here.
Rapid Metabolism and Absorption of BA Can be Bad
The metabolic and absorption rate of BA is high.
This means that bacteria and fungi that are further away from the product in the stomach are not dealt with! They can wreck havoc with the immune system of the farm animal.
Therefore, to counter that Benzoic acid manufactures and researchers suggest the use of advanced technology:
Vectorization which is the process of bringing the best ingredients and synergizing them for optimal results. The process allows scientists to produce encapuslated benzoic acid that does not dissolve easily in the gut.
Thus, it is apparent that developing technologies are improving the market value of using benzoic acid as animal feed even further.
End Comments
In conclusion, these are only a few benefits of using BA and a couple of ways in which to deal with the negatives of it. Hope you learned a lot. If you want to check out our products, head to this page.