The lactic acid production process creates several by-products: gypsum, biomass and stillage. For years we disposed of the stillage – unwanted residue – because it had no value. But then that changed…
The turning point came in the late 1980s when the European Feed Industry imposed a ban on the use of antibiotics in animal feed due to the risk of pathogenic bacteria becoming immune to them. This would not only be potentially harmful to animals, but also to humans – because if infected with resistant bacteria, treatment with antibiotics might no longer cure them. Eventually, organic acids emerged as the best alternative (after all, they are natural products, easy to measure, and have no availability problems). And it's here that Corbion saw an opportunity for the stillage from our Lactic acid production to meet demand in this market; not just through Lactic acid itself but also the remaining sugars after fermentation -which help improve taste and further boost nutritional value for the animals. Before long our stillage was transferred into a standardized product, called LAFEED 80. Today, this is the leading lactic acid brand in the European feed market. Not only have we created a new revenue stream, but we have created the long-term potential to reduce our stillage stream significantly – and reduce waste.
Today our feed acidifier business is mainly in regions where antibiotics are banned. But the world is changing fast and the power of public opinion – not to mention the influence of the large supermarkets chains – means that the North American market is changing too. If this plays out similar to the situation in Europe (a total ban) then South American and Mexican markets are sure to follow – which represents a fantastic opportunity for Corbion.
