GMP+ Natural and Compliant Animal Feed Colouring
Food Safety in the Feed Industry
The global population is growing and ageing. Despite consumption of plant-based foods being on the rise, the relevance of natural protein coming from meat, poultry, or fish remains. Around 8 out of 10 consumers of meat products in Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Spain would never completely give up eating meat. Quality protein intake is a key consideration to many consumers; more than 6 out of 10 meat consumers agree that the quality of processed meat is more important than its quantity, Mintel reports.
The feed industry is an essential member of the food chain and a crucial factor in the quality assurance for foods of animal origin. The International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF) comments, “Animal feeds play a leading role in the global food industry, enabling economic production of animal proteins throughout the world. Feed is the largest and most important component to ensuring safe, abundant and affordable animal proteins.”
Food safety of feed products is key, and a rising demand for animal nutrition combined with economic fluctuations, technological innovation in production, and topics such as sustainability and environmental footprints shape the dynamics in this sector.
Relevancy of Colouring in Feed Products
The use of colourants in the feed industry may neither be widespread, nor highly known, yet its relevancy should not be underestimated. Colourants can be used for different purposes; enhancing visual appeal for humans and animals is just the most obvious one. Marketing uniform and quality products is an aspect to consider for feed manufacturers.
Another point is that different animal feed additives benefit from product differentiation: Clearly distinguishable feed additives can ensure a proper human handling vs. otherwise similar looking products that could easily be confused with one another whilst feeding the animals. Feed additives that are homogenously coloured, can more easily be blend into premixtures to avoid uneven distribution and thus unbalanced consumption. Last, but not least, visual consistency and quality is key to ensure that any feed product meets the respective necessary standards and specifications for animal nutrition.
Considerations for Colouring Feed Products
Whilst animals could benefit from a coloured product via improved intake and consequently a more balanced and complete diet, finding the right colouring solution may be a bit more complex to navigate.
Factors to consider in colouring feed:
Composition of the
final product
Physiochemical
properties
Processing
technology
Storage and
handling
The animal feed industry is subject to numerous regulations and standards and purity criteria and definitions of feed additives can be different than food additives. Regulations distinguish between feed additives intentionally added to perform a technological or sensory function, and feed materials whose primary purpose is to meet the animals’ nutritional needs. Premixtures are mixtures of feed additives or mixtures of one or more feed additives with feed materials and are handled differently yet again. The concept of colouring foods for human consumption does not have an identical match in animal feed, and ingredients with secondary colouring properties may be added for nutritional purposes only.
GMP+ Certified Colouring Solutions
Consumer trust and confidence in the safety of the whole food supply chain is vital. Good Manufacturing Practice for Feed Safety (GMP+), is a global certification system that focuses on ensuring food safety within the animal feed industry. Its goal is to guarantee that the manufactured animal feed adheres to stringent food safety regulations. This system encompasses production, distribution, and transportation of feed, with a strong emphasis on the safety and quality of feed for livestock.
In the livestock sector, ensuring a certified supply chain is an important pillar. Sensient offers GMP+ certified and high-quality colouring ingredients that enable every feed company to work with safe and authentic solutions with colouring properties for their finished feed products.
MARKET TREND
Improved Feed Efficiency & Gut Health
Improving feed efficiency and supporting gut health in animals are top priorities in the animal nutrition sector. Scientists and feed producers are focusing on creating additives, probiotics, and prebiotics to enhance nutrient absorption and maintain a healthy balance of gut microbiota. This leads to better animal performance and overall well-being.
OUR SOLUTION
Global platform of high-performance, heat-stable beet colouring solutions.
Animal owners typically base their feed preferences for their animals and/or pets on the visual attractiveness of feed. When selecting products for their animals, factors like nutrition and quality are often assessed based on the colour and overall visual appeal of the product. Discover how Uberbeet can help you achieve heat stable vibrant red shades.
Learn More
MARKET TREND
Transition to Sustainable & Ethical Animal Feed
Consumers are more and more requesting sustainable and ethically sourced animal products. Generating reduced environmental footprints, focusing on regenerative agriculture and producing ‘more with less’ are themes of interest. The animal nutrition industry is interested in creating feed solutions that are sustainable, traceable, and in line with environmental criteria.
OUR SOLUTION
A portfolio of unique and outstanding colouring
solutions with excellent performance
Discover Sensient’s Palm-Free Colours which not only the active pigment but all ingredients are free of palm-derived components for your product.
Learn MoreSensient understands the importance of feed products to maintain the health of the animals and improve the quality of end products like meat, milk, fish, or eggs. We acknowledge the increasing demand for sustainable, natural, and safe ingredients in animal feeds. Explore Sensient’s GMP+ certified vibrant colouring ingredients that are tailored to the specific end application and targeted animal needs.
Our technical experts are ready to discuss on how to bring natural colourants to your products that are authentic and safe. In order to best support the goals of feed manufacturers and animal nutritionists like, all solutions are aligned to the European Feed regulation, fully certified to comply to GMP+ and, of course, adhering to Sensient’s strictest Food Safety Standards underneath our Certasure umbrella.
Request a consultation to talk about your feed products’ needs and
our GMP+ certified portfolio of colouring solutions today!
