High-quality vegetable protein source
With our high-quality soy protein concentrate, Selecta´s SPC, we provide a purely vegetable feed with many possible uses. Soy protein concentrate has a protein content of 60% and its characteristics include high digestibility of 92%, a beneficial composition of amino acids and a low proportion of anti-nutritional factors.
Due to the good storage life and ease of use, Selecta’s SPC is suitable for use in aquaculture, as starter feed for pigs and poultry, as a milk substitute for calves and in pet food, among other things.
Use in aquaculture
Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing sectors of the food industry. The demand for feed for fresh and saltwater fish that are mostly carnivorous is constantly rising – while the global production of fishmeal has remained constant for years due to sustainable management. It is essential to find supplements and alternatives.
For most fish species the feed must have a protein content of 35 – 55 % and 30% fat. Soya beans are most similar to the natural diet due to their amino acid composition, the high omega-3 fatty acid content and the protein content. However, soya bean meal contains too many anti-nutritional factors and is not absorbed by many marine fish species or leads to metabolic problems. As these anti-nutritional factors are removed from soy protein concentrate by heating and ethanol extraction, it is perfectly suited to use in aquaculture.
In many aquacultures, one third to half of the fishmeal in the feed can be replaced with soy protein concentrate.
Use in starter feed for pigs and poultry
Weaned piglets and chicks are given starter feed which is especially tailored to the particular needs of the developing digestive system. Soya is becoming ever more important as a protein source for this starter feed. The soya bean meal content is limited though, due to the high proportion of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs). Both pigs and chickens lack the appropriate enzymes to digest oligosaccharides, for example. Soy protein concentrate like Selecta’s SPC makes a beneficial and cost-effective protein source in starter food for piglets and poultry, due to the low ANF content and the good nutritional properties.
Milk substitute for calves
Soy protein concentrate has long been used in milk replacers for calves. The advantages are the high protein content, the favourable digestibility with low anti-nutritional factors and the ease of use.
In collaboration with our partner J. Müller in Brake, we have created the technical requirements to mill the SPC extremely finely. We can achieve a grain size of ≤75µ, which means it dissolves very readily in water. This makes Selecta’s SPC very economical – from 125 to 150g per litre is adequate.
