Commercialised since the 1990s, phytase has been enjoying steady growth over the years, and is seen to dominate the market of feed enzymes. The practice of ‘superdosing’, whereby end-users use higher phytase doses in feed to reduce the anti-nutritional effects of phytate in pigs and poultry, has also gained momentum in recent years.
The company behind the superdosing concept, AB Vista, has been accumulating data and evidence to back up the benefits of phytase ever since the launch of its flagship E. coli phytase product Quantum Blue in the US in January 2012, and its subsequent European Union launch in 2014.
We spoke with Mike Bedford, Research Director at AB Vista, to assess the evolution of its phytase offering over the past decade and what opportunities still lie ahead.
[Feedinfo] Mr. Bedford, how does AB Vista see the progression of the use of phytase in commercial production?
[Mike Bedford] It has been well understood that enzymes, in particular phytases, can beneficially impact animal efficiency, delivering improved performance and feed cost savings. And more recently we are seeing the advantages they can offer customers looking to reduce the environmental impact of animal production by minimising waste through excretion. At the same time, recognition of phytate as an anti-nutrient has also allowed customers to change the paradigm of phytase usage, not only as a mineral replacement but also as a tool to improve performance and meat quality. With that in mind, it’s clear to see that the future of phytase is bright in livestock production. With the known benefits of phytase and the concept of superdosing being discussed more, phytase use is certain to go from strength to strength.
[Feedinfo] 10 years ago, we sat down with the former AB Vista managing director, Richard Cooper, who spoke to us about unlocking a lot more growth in the global phytase market thanks to the concept of ‘superdosing’. Is this message still as relevant today?
[Mike Bedford] Yes, it’s still relevant and in fact is becoming increasingly more so, as the benefits of superdosing with even higher levels of phytase become more evident. Traditionally associated with use of 1500-2000FTU/kg of phytase and even higher doses, superdosing has been shown to improve the oxygen carrying capacity of blood. This has relevance in ascites, bone disorders and woody breast in broilers and layers, and for improving semen quality and pig performance during the finisher phase. All of this, due to the ability of phytase to break phytate all the way down to inositol, which plays a key role in cell growth, central nervous system development and metabolic function.
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[Feedinfo] Given that phytase market growth could increase substantially thanks to superdosing, why is AB Vista - to our knowledge - the only commercial producer emphasising the concept and communicating extensively about it? [Mike Bedford] Superdosing was developed and introduced by AB Vista and it has become an established concept in the industry, particularly the segments where additional value from additives is being sought. We know that our competitors are recommending higher dosages of phytase – even if the term ‘superdosing’ is not explicitly used. Plus, for less efficient products, such a beneficial effect of higher inclusion levels is harder to prove. |
Mike BedfordFeedinfo] The company's message over the past decade has always been that Quantum Blue breaks down phytate faster and more completely than any previous product on the market. How have you been able to deliver on that promise over the years and stay a step ahead of your phytase market competitors who are also consistently innovating?
[Mike Bedford] AB Vista has a long-standing reputation for innovation in the enzyme sector and we are proud that Quantum Blue is still the best and most effective commercial phytase in the market, despite advancements made by competitors. It excels in breaking down phytate faster and more completely – a promise we are proud to continue to deliver on.
Our continued investment in scientific research has enabled us to provide valuable information to our customers on how they can achieve even greater benefits from the use of phytase. One of the areas we have focused on is determining the phytate phosphorous levels in the diet accurately, which allows the customer to extract the maximum benefit from Quantum Blue.
As part of this we have pioneered the development of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) analysis of feed ingredients for phytate and other proximate analysis, which helps our customers to get results quickly, enabling better and more efficient decision making. Armed with the knowledge of dietary phytate content, the customer can be sure that the matrix they apply will be achieved in practice.
Alongside this, we are generous in sharing our knowledge with the industry through multiple channels, and the expertise we provide to our customers helps them implement nutritional strategies with confidence.
[Feedinfo] To what extent today can you say that the superdosing of Quantum Blue is a true mineral replacement solution?
[Mike Bedford] In many diets it is possible to completely remove all inorganic phosphate sources when using high levels of phytase and crediting it correctly with a phosphorus matrix. So, in this regard, Quantum Blue is capable of delivering a complete mineral replacement solution. Besides that, the correct phytase application allows customers to spare not only phosphate but other ingredients due to the matrix validation, for example energy and amino acids obtained by the use of phytase. This then enables other ingredients (such as soy in different forms, like soybean meal or full fat soy and oil) to be reduced, further impacting the potential savings to be gained. These applications become even more important, as the environmental impact of animal production becomes an increasingly vital topic in animal production.
[Feedinfo] How increasingly important would you say is appropriate phytase inclusion, especially in these times of volatility in the raw material markets?
[Mike Bedford] Now, more than ever, it is crucial that we pay more attention to ways to improve the nutritional value of ingredients as we face increasing price volatility and with the use of alternative ingredients on the rise – some of which have higher anti-nutritional factors than more common sources used.
With ingredient price volatility comes nutrient shadow price increments, and in feed formulation this means that the value of the nutrients released by Quantum Blue increases – resulting in more money saved on feed. What this also does is elevate the dose of Quantum Blue that can be used in the diet to optimise financial returns, because the nutrient cost savings of employing 1,500 FTU/kg of Quantum Blue, for example, is vastly in excess of the cost of inclusion of the enzyme. Therefore, the total savings made is much greater with a 1,500 FTU dose application compared to a 750 or 1,000 FTU application.
Interestingly, many feed companies that were happy to sit on a significant safety margin on their phytase matrix are now asking for advice on the estimated matrix for higher inclusion levels of phytase – which suggests a growing trend towards higher phytase dose application and better utilisation of the potential of phytase use.
[Feedinfo] In your opinion, what role has improved phytase price competitiveness played in this scenario?
[Mike Bedford] One of the main turning points in how phytases have evolved is how they have become more price competitive (as well as improved gastric stability and thermostability for application in pelleted feeds). Inevitably, the lower phytase prices make the use of superdosing and high dosage supplementation more affordable, which may make it a very attractive option from a ROI point of view. However, price is only one consideration, since all phytases are not the same. What you might be able to achieve with 3,000 FTU of Quantum Blue for example, may require 10 times the amount or even more of an alternative phytase when the goal is to remove all the phytate esters (from 1P6 to IP1) and replace them with inositol – an area that Quantum Blue excels in.
[Feedinfo] AB Vista says it continues to invest in R&D to further strengthen phytase efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of animal protein production. What will you be looking at next?
[Mike Bedford] Our two points of focus are mechanistic (dephytinisation) work to evaluate what a phytase dose is, and discovery and evolution to further innovate and strengthen our offering to bring additional benefits to our customers.
On the mechanistic front, we are looking into the impacts of complete dephytinisation of the diet which, at the moment, would require doses of phytase far above the levels used today and likely not economic at current costs. We are doing this to determine if there are further benefits, such as blood oxygen carrying capacity, that accrue from complete dephytinisation, so that we can identify and ascribe a value to such effects.
Meanwhile, our discovery work is generating new phytase candidates which can achieve the same degree of phytate hydrolysis at lower doses. Ultimately, we hope to produce a phytase which will enter the market and be used for complete diet dephytinisation on a routine basis, with our current enzyme discovery and evolution programmes having made great progress in this area already.
Published in association with AB Vista
