Mussels have long been known to have good nutritional value, forming the base of mankind’s early diet. But with the rising cost of sustainable, and especially organic, feed additives, they are increasingly being used in animal feed.
However, it was as early as 1998, that Farmers’ Weekly began reporting on the development of commercial feed additives for pigs and poultry made from mussels. Mussels are noted for offering high values of protein, calcium (if the shells are ingested), zinc, potassium, and phosphorus.
Mussels are Nutritionally Good
Over the years, numerous studies have shown the advantages of using mussels as a feed additive. For example, a study called Zebra Mussel Biomass as a Supplement to Commercial Chicken Feed, by the University of Cambridge, was published in the journal Environmental Management in 2014. It found that, Zebra mussels made a useful, “addition to egg-laying poultry feed, providing high levels of the essential nutrient calcium.”
Meanwhile, in a recent overview of the potential for using molluscs as a feed additive, the industry journal PigProgress, noted the good, but not excellent, nutritional value of mussels. It stated that, “Mussel meal is characterised by a crude protein content of 58-66% in dry matter, a low mineral concentration, and for pigs and poultry, a balanced amino acid profile. The crude fat content of 12-16% in dry matter includes a relatively large amount of poly unsaturated fatty acids and especially the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA).”
Mussels are Economically Excellent
Crucially, for both feed manufacturers and farmers, is that mussels are economical to farm. This is a point highlighted by Dr. Daniel Pauly, Professor of Fisheries at the University of British Columbia informed the online Aquaculture journal, Farmed Seafood, “When it comes to the costs of mussel aquaculture, they are the on the cheaper end of the spectrum. Compared to finfish farming, which requires costly ingredients for feed and expensive equipment for processing, mussels grow on fairly inexpensive ropes hanging from rafts.”
Mussels are Sustainable and Environmentally Helpful
In 2013, Aarhus University in Denmark published a study finding that mussels help the environment as they help to clean the waters where they grow. Like most bivalves, mussels filter the sea water where they live. It is because they consume phytoplankton that they have such good nutritional value.
However, the environmental advantage is that they also filter out manmade substance. As the study notes, the concept is, “so-called compensatory farming, where the nutrients leached into the fjords from households, industry and agriculture can be returned onto land in the form of, for example, pig feed using proteins from mussels.”
Mussels are a Good source of Phosphorus
While there has been further analysis of other sea life for use as feed additives, for example seaweed, compared to many other seafood raw materials, mussels are a good source of phosphorus. The table below, shows analysis gained from the industry journals PigProgress and PoultryWorld on phosphorus content.
Phosphorus is Vital for Healthy Animals
Phosphorus is a key feed additive, so its presence in mussel meal is significant. Animals that do not ingest sufficient phosphorus are often smaller and less productive.
Phosphorus deficiency is surprisingly common in modern farming as many farmers assume that their poultry and livestock will receive enough from the bulk feed. However, recent analysis by feed additive specialists at AG CHEMI GROUP (who sponsor this article), found that, “In general, livestock and poultry receive less phosphorus than they should. This is because the phosphorus content in vegetable feeds reaches only 30% of what is essentially needed, and even then, only half absorbed.”
AG CHEMI GROUP is a supplier of industrial feed additives, including feed grade monocalcium phosphate or MCP.
MCP has the following features and advantages:
- neutralizes the harmful effects of a number of elements - sodium, potassium, magnesium, and others
- ensures the proper functioning of the heart, nervous and muscular systems, as well as many other organs
- improves digestion, by increasing the activity of digestive enzymes
- strengthens the immune system
- participates in the relocation of lipids, protein biosynthesis, and the cleansing of the intestine from harmful substances
- improves the efficiency of carbohydrate, protein, fat, mineral, and energy metabolism in the body
- does not contain heavy metal impurities
- does not have a destructive effect on enzymes and vitamins, nor does it block the effect of proteins and the amino acids
- contains the highest degree of digestibility (bioavailability)
- a minimal amount of phosphorus is released in animal waste, limiting environmental pollution
- contains a minimal amount of mineral mixture for maximum digestibility
MCP – Animal Feed’s Most Effective Growth Supplement
MCP acts as an inorganic phosphate supplement and plays an important role in the animal feed industry. It provides animals with calcium and phosphorus, which helps to improve an animal's organism, metabolism, and the functioning of nervous, immune and reproductive systems thereby increasing productivity.
Specification
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Technical aspects of Monocalcium phosphate produced by the Phosagro group:
Production
PJSC PhosAgro
https://www.phosagro.com
The most important quality indicators
| Indicator |
Value |
| Total phosphorus (in terms of P) |
min. 22.3% |
| Total phosphorus soluble in 2% citric acid |
min. 95% |
| Mass fraction of calcium |
min. 15% |
| Residue on a sieve with a cell diameter |
> 3 mm - 0%
0,2 - 2 mm - 80%
≤ 0,2 mm - max. 20% |
| Light gray fine-grained flowable powder |
granulated |
Packing
- 800, 1000 kg BB
- silo truck (pneumatic tank)
Based on recent studies, phosphorus from monocalcium phosphate is more useful for livestock and poultry than other inorganic sources, as the percentage digested is much higher. The addition of monocalcium phosphate to feed mixtures provides an increase in live weight of livestock and poultry by 5-12% higher in comparison with other types of feed phosphates. Monocalcium phosphate can be safely used for feed without any harmful consequences. Adding monocalcium phosphate to the diet of your livestock and poultry will increase their productivity, and bring excellent biological, energy, and economic benefits.
Photo credit: Pixabay, wealthresult, & MarkHersheyFarms
