Moisture in Feather Meal, Blood Meal and Chicken Meal
Moisture measurement in the production of animal feed is desirable at numerous stages during the manufacturing process. With varying moisture content in raw materials, on-line NIR measurement is a key tool in ensuring optimum efficiency and quality control. The ability to measure moisture and make instant process adjustments during the production cycle is key.
Chicken meal, according to AAFCO, is the dry rendered product from a combination of clean flesh and skin with and without accompanying bone, derived from whole carcasses of chicken thereof, exclusive of feathers, heads, feet and entrails. It is mainly used in pet foods.
Chicken meal essentially is taking a roaster and grinding it up, mixing everything together including muscle, skin and bones. The water content averages around 70%, along with 18% protein and 5% fat. Now take this ground chicken and carefully dry it to a moisture level of 10%. The protein content is now 65% and the fat level is 12%. This product is chicken meal.
Feather meal is the most important poultry by-product at a rendering plant. The by-products are mostly animal feed, which is produced by rendering (cooking) the waste materials. Feather waste from the poultry processing industry can potentially be used as a protein source in animal feeding operations
Feathers are rich in protein content called keratin and constitute 7-9% weight of the live bird, therefore producing a considerable mass which can be converted to valuable meal. To make FM digestible it must first be converted through a hydrolysis process. Hydrolyzation is completed by cooking the feathers with steam. Hydrolyzed feather contents 40% to 65% moisture. This moisture must be reduced to 8% for improving shelf life as an animal feed.
Monitoring the moisture in the raw materials, controlling the mixing/blending process and moisture of the feed in pellet form, not only ensures an end product with consistent quality, but will enable substantial savings to be achieved in the production process. The user will know the levels of moisture in the raw material and will be able to accurately calculate the amount of moisture that needs to be added to the mix to achieve the correct consistency of the end product.
The MoistTech Online sensors can be installed into any hopper, silo, material line, belt or screw conveyor and the moisture results are displayed on a color touch screen or output on any of our many signal options.
The installation of our On-line Sensors prevent bad product due to undesirable moisture levels. Now you can fine tune your setup to make sure you are putting out a higher quality and more consistent product and ultimately improve your bottom line. Save money, time and prevent negative results due to inconsistencies and human error.
The IR3000 is MoistTech’s Online Sensor that was developed for instant, non-contact analysis in the harshest environments. Insensitive to material variations such as particle size, material height & color, the IR-3000 provides continuous, reliable readings without drift or frequent re-calibration. Using this device, operating personnel can make immediate process adjustments based on real-time measurements. The net result is improved quality and reduced production costs by savings in energy and loss reduction.
Moisture measurement in the production of animal feed is desirable at numerous stages during the manufacturing process. With varying moisture content in raw materials, on-line NIR measurement is a key tool in ensuring optimum efficiency and quality control. The ability to measure moisture and make instant process adjustments during the production cycle is key.
Blood meal is hydroscopic and needs to be dried to less than 10-12% moisture and stored in a dry place in order for it not to deteriorate. It is one of the highest non-synthetic sources of nitrogen available. It is a great food supplement for cattle, fish and poultry, and due to its high-lysine content, it is widely used. Many countries mix it with molasses before using as an animal feed.
Blood meal is produced from clean, fresh animal blood, exclusive of all extraneous material such as hair, stomach belching, and urine; except as might occur unavoidably in good manufacturing processes. A large portion of the moisture (water) is removed mechanically by a dewatering process and is then transferred to a rapid drying facility.
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