Protein-rich feedstuff with resistance to lowered digestibility due to heat damage

Abstract

Protein-rich feedstuffs which contain at least one protein feed material and either betaine or at least one feed product which contains betaine are resistant to reduction of digestibility as a result of heat damage during drying.

1 . A process of making a protein-rich feedstuff, said process comprising:
 (i) mixing (a) at least one protein feed material with (b) betaine or at least one feed product which contains betaine, to obtain a mixture; and   (ii) drying said mixture, to obtain said protein-rich feedstuff,   wherein:   the protein-rich feedstuff comprises the betaine in an amount of not less than 3.5 grams of betaine per 100 grams protein in the protein feed material; and   the protein-rich feedstuff comprises at least 20 wt. % protein on a dry matter basis.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one protein feed material is distillers grains or any fraction of grains resulting from industrial production of ethanol. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the grains are grains resulting from industrial production of ethanol from corn, wheat, milo, sorghum, rice or barley. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one protein feed material comprises corn distillers grains. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one protein feed material comprises corn distillers grains plus solubles. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one protein feed material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of soybean meal, soy-protein flour, soy-protein isolate, canola meal, corn gluten meal, peanut meal, and cottonseed meal. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said betaine or at least one feed product which contains betaine is any one of betaine, amino acid fermentation byproduct solubles, molasses containing betaine, condensed separator byproduct, condensed molasses solubles, vinasse, and a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one feed product which contains betaine is selected from the group consisting of a condensed, extracted glutamic acid fermentation product, amino acid fermentation byproduct solubles from the fermentative production lysine, amino acid fermentation byproduct solubles from the fermentative production threonine, and amino acid fermentation byproduct solubles from the fermentative production tryptophan. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one feed product which contains betaine comprises a condensed, extracted glutamic acid fermentation product. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one feed product which contains betaine is amino acid fermentation byproduct solubles from the fermentative production lysine. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said protein feed material has a moisture content between 10 and 90 wt. %, based on the total weight of said protein feed material. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said protein rich feedstuff has a moisture content between 0 and 20 wt. %, based on the total weight of said protein-rich feedstuff. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said betaine or at least one feed product which contains betaine has a moisture content between 0 and 95 wt. %, based on the total weight of said betaine or at least one feed product which contains betaine. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said drying comprises exposing said mixture to an atmosphere having a temperature of 80 to 600° C. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said drying comprises exposing said mixture to an atmosphere having a temperature of 80 to 600° C. for a time of 1 to 60 minutes.