Historical cut: ZMC has finished era of using Ethoyxquin or BHT in feed additives

For decades of years it was industrial standard all over the world to use chemicals not found in nature like Ethoxyquin as antioxidants in feed additives sensitive to oxidation like Vitamin A 500 or A 1000. Because these chemicals were easy to synthesize, cheap and very effective as antioxidants. Looking only at the technical benefits of these chemicals but not to aspects like safety for consumer, a severe disadvantage was not in the scope for long time as there is a remarkable carry-over effect into the body of animal via feed. As a result Ethoxyquin or BHT end up to some extent in meat, milk and eggs for human consumption.

Now latest since EU issued directive 1831 in 2003 it was obvious, that safety aspects have to be more considered for use of chemical antioxidants, resulting in suspension of widely used antioxidant Ethoxyquin in 2017. And also antioxidant BHT is under safety investigation by EU/EFSA since more than 10 years!

Already in 2005 ZMC introduced a Canthaxanthin feed additive as coloring agent for eggs into the market, which was stabilized avoiding Ethoxyquin as antioxidant but using nature like compounds. Substitution of Ethoyxquin in Vitamin A feed additives is a real challenge and took a lot of efforts, but finally ZMC set  milestone by introducing in 2017 an Ethoyxquin/BHT  free Vitamin A 500 feed additive preparation into the markets.

In 2020 next product without Ethoxyquin/BHT was Vitamin D 500.

By introduction of Vitamin A 1000 stabilized with nature-like antioxidants only, ZMC has ended the era of using chemical antioxidants in every ZMC feed additive.

ZMC products without ethoxyquin/BHT:

HANSEVIT® A 1000

Vitamin A 500

Vitamin A Palmitate 1.7 M, feed grade

HANSEVIT® D₃ 500

CAROFORTE^® RED 10 %

CAROFORTE^® YELLOW 10 %

CAROFORTE^® BETA 10 %

ZMC has enlarged its product portfolio by launching CAROFORTE^® YELLOW 10 % in the market. The product contains 10 % xanthophylls (mainly lutein) from natural source (Marigold flowers).

CAROFORTE^® YELLOW 10 % is a remarkable step ahead in terms of stability and efficacy of xanthophyll-products from Marigold-origin. Traditional xanthophyll-products for feed application lack stability even by using powerful ethoxyquin as antioxidant. As ethoxquin cannot be used in future, stability-problems will become more evident. Xanthophylls in CAROFORTE^® YELLOW 10 % are effectively stabilized by coating technology using natural based antioxidants, shelf life of 3 years is guaranteed.

Natural CAROFORTE^® YELLOW 10 % is an excellent, economic pigmentation-alternative to products in the market based on synthetic pigment apo-ester not only in view of current supply situation. CAROFORTE^® YELLOW 10 % fulfills consumers increasing preference for complete natural ingredients in feed also.

ZMC has set a milestone by developing a sophisticated Vitamin A 500 feed additive preparation, which – in contrary to products on the market – does not contain any technical antioxidant (like Ethoxyquin, BHT or BHA) for stabilization of Vitamin A against oxidation. Only nature-like stabilizers are used for protection of Vitamin A.

For detailed information please contact Dr. Fritz Lübbe (f.luebbe@zmc-europe.com).

ZMC-Europe offers various vitamins (e.g. Vitamin E, Biotin, Vitamin A) and carotenoids (e.g. Beta-carotene) manufactured by our mother company Zhejiang Medicine Co. Ltd. (ZMC).

Zhejiang Medicine Company (ZMC) will participate in the Fi Food Ingredients Europe fair, the world’s leading health and natural food ingredients event. Take the opportunity to visit us in Frankfurt from 29^th November to 1^st December 2016, booth G39.