Emulsifiers in association with vegetable oleins in an animal feed

Abstract

The present invention relates to the use of emulsifiers in association with vegetable oleins in an animal feed. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of emulsifiers E484 and/or E487 (Community Register of Feed Additives—EU Reg. No. 1831/2003) in association with vegetable oleins as a technological additive for increasing the hourly output (tons/hour) in a plant for preparing an animal feed and/or to improve the characteristics of an animal feed, preferably in the form of pellets, and/or to reduce the dustiness of the same. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an animal feed and a process for preparing the same wherein said emulsifiers are used in association with said vegetable oleins with the function of a technological additive.

1 . A use of a mixture comprising or, alternatively, consisting of:
 (i) an ethoxylated castor oil containing from 8 to 200 ethyleneoxy groups, and/or   (ii) polyethylene glycol esters of fatty acids obtained from soybean oil,   in association with at least one vegetable olein selected from the group comprising or, alternatively, consisting of an oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, a triglyceride of oleic acid and a vegetable oil or mixtures thereof in a process for preparing an animal feed containing nutritive substances in liquid, powder or granular form.   
     
     
         2 . The use according to  claim 1 , wherein said mixture comprises or, alternatively, consists of:
 (i) an ethoxylated castor oil E484, and/or   (ii) polyethylene glycol esters of fatty acids obtained from soybean oil E487, in association with said at least one vegetable olein.   
     
     
         3 . The use according to  claims 1 - 2 , wherein said ethoxylated castor oil contains from 10 to 150 ethyleneoxy groups; preferably it contains from 20 to 80 ethyleneoxy groups. 
     
     
         4 . The use according to one of  claims 1 - 3 , wherein said vegetable olein is selected from among:
 an oleic acid, preferably said oleic acid has a concentration greater than 70% by weight; or   a mixture of oleic acid and linoleic acid, preferably said mixture comprises said oleic acid at a concentration equal to or greater than 75% by weight and said linoleic acid at a concentration equal to or less than 25% by weight; and   a vegetable oil selected from the group comprising or, alternatively, consisting of olive oil, linseed oil, rapeseed oil, peanut oil, corn oil, palm oil, sunflower oil and soybean oil or mixtures thereof; preferably it is olive and/or palm oil.   
     
     
         5 . The use according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said ethoxylated castor oil and said vegetable olein are used in a ratio by weight comprised from 1:4 to 4:1, preferably from 1:2 to 2:1, even more preferably 1:1. 
     
     
         6 . The use according to one of the preceding claims, wherein:
 said ethoxylated castor oil is used in an amount comprised from 0.4 to 0.8 Kg/ton of feed, preferably in an amount of 0.5 Kg/ton of feed; and   said vegetable olein is used in an amount comprised from 3 Kg to 10 Kg/ton of feed, preferably from 5 Kg to 8 Kg/ton of feed.   
     
     
         7 . An animal feed containing nutritive substances in liquid, powder or granular form, characterized in that it comprises an ethoxylated castor oil containing from 8 to 200 ethyleneoxy groups and/or polyethylene glycol esters of fatty acids obtained from soybean oil, in association with at least one vegetable olein selected from the group comprising or, alternatively, consisting of oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, a triglyceride of oleic acid and a vegetable oil or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The feed according to  claim 7 , wherein said ethoxylated castor oil and/or said polyethylene glycol esters of fatty acids obtained from soybean oil and said vegetable olein are selected in accordance with at least one of  claims 2 - 6 . 
     
     
         9 . A process for preparing an animal feed according to  claim 7  or  8 , characterized in that it comprises a step in which a mixture comprising or, alternatively, consisting of:
 (i) an ethoxylated castor oil containing from 8 to 200 ethyleneoxy groups, and/or 
 (ii) polyethylene glycol esters of fatty acids obtained from soybean oil, 
 in association with at least one vegetable olein selected from the group comprising or, alternatively, consisting of an oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, a triglyceride of oleic acid and a vegetable oil or mixtures thereof is added directly, or after being first dissolved or suspended in water or added to a carrier, into the nutritive substances in liquid, powder or granular form or optionally into other solid components of the animal feed. 
 
     
     
         10 . The process according to  claim 9 , wherein said ethoxylated castor oil and/or said polyethylene glycol esters of fatty acids obtained from soybean oil and said vegetable olein are selected in accordance with at least one of  claims 2 - 6  and can be added separately from each other or after being first mixed, to the nutritive substances in liquid, powder or granular form. 
     
     
         11 . The process according to one of  claims 9 - 10 , wherein said ethoxylated castor oil (i) and said at least one vegetable olein (iii) can be added, after first being mixed to yield a mixture, to the nutritive substances in liquid, powder or granular form or optionally into other solid components of the animal feed. 
     
     
         12 . The process according to one of  claims 9 - 11 , wherein said ethoxylated castor oil containing from 8 to 200 ethyleneoxy groups and/or said polyethylene glycol esters of fatty acids obtained from soybean oil and said at least one vegetable olein can be added, separately from each other or after being first mixed, to a hydrophobic component that is liquid or solid at room temperature, selected from the group comprising an animal and/or vegetable lipid, an oil, preferably a vegetable oil, a liquid and/or solid fat, preferably an animal fat.