GB767600A - Improvements in or relating to the production of vitamin supplements for animal feeds - Google Patents

Abstract

Feed supplements in the form of free-flowing particles are made by encasing one or several particles of fat-insoluble substance carrying fat-soluble vitamin in a moisture-resistant substance in which the fat-insoluble substance is insoluble. The fat-insoluble substance may be water-soluble or hygroscopic; it is exemplified by gelatine, soy protein, lactalbumen, gum arabic, gum tragacanth, locust bean gum, starch, sorbitol, ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, pectin. The moisture resistant substance may be a fat, e.g. hydrogenated cottonseed, coconut, corn or peanut oil, or a wax, e.g. esparto wax or a mineral wax, preferably of melting point not less than 45 DEG C. The inner particles or the moisture-resistant substance may contain a substance which prevents oxidation of the fat-soluble vitamin, p e.g. water-soluble propyl gallate or citric acid, or fat-soluble butylated hydroxyanisole or tocopherol. Emulsifying agents, e.g. lecithin, mono- and di-glycerides of fat-forming fatty acids typified by glycerol monostearate, fatty acid esters of sorbitan or polyoxyethylene derivatives of such sorbitan esters, and polyoxyethylene glycol esters of fatty acids, may be incorporated in the particles. The products show good vitamin A, D, E and K stability in the presence of mineral feed supplements exemplified by a potassium iodide, manganese, ferrous, copper, zinc and cobalt sulphates, and calcium carbonate formulation. Examples are concerned with (i) mixing particles of vitamin A acetate entrapped in gelatine with molten hydrogenated cottonseed oil and spray chilling the mixture, (ii) emulsifying vitamin A acetate in a mixture of molten sorbitol, a polyoxyethylene ether (20 oxyethylene groups) of sorbitan monostearate and propyl gallate, spray chilling, distributing the particles so obtained in a molten mixture of hydrogenated soy bean oil, lecithin in soy bean oil and butylated hydroxyanisole, and spray chilling the mixture, (iii) homogenizing, in an atmosphere of nitrogen, a blend of molten hydrogenated coconut oil, butylated hydroxyanisole, vitamin D crystals and vitamin A palmitate in corn oil mixed with a preparation of solvent-extracted soy flour dissolved in warm water and containing citric acid, spray drying the homogenized mixture to produce particles, incorporating these particles in molten, completely hydrogenated cottonseed or soy bean oil, and spray chilling the mixture. Specifications 541,663, 657,579, 708,160, [all in Group VI], and U.S.A. Specification 2,496,634 are referred to.