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A FULL 'MEAL' DEAL

When Renew Energy drew up the blueprint for its branded co-product feedstuff Renew Meal ™, they had several key weapons in their arsenal to aid in the composition and ultimately, the marketability of the feedstuff.

The key objections most livestock and poultry operators have had with adding DDGS to rations dealt with product inconsistency, nutrient quality and handling characteristics.

“Fractionation helps improve product integrity up front since it allows us to de-bran and de-germ to identify and optimize corn components while reducing waste and variability on the inbound product,” says Busch, “so right away we’ve improved the base structure of the feedstuff.”

As mentioned before, the HED drying system helps reduce scorching and heat variability in the drying process, after which the product is sent to a special kiln for further conditioning. The kiln system is an essential cog in the process as it uses gentle rolling and heating actions to condition roughly 2,000 tons/batch.

“Kiln conditioning helps differentiate our product because it dramatically improves the handling characteristic of the end product,” Busch notes. “After a conditioning sequence lasting between 36 to 48 hours the product comes out less sticky and much easier to handle, which makes our customers happy.”

Arguably the biggest asset Busch and Thorner have to draw upon to fulfill Renew Meal’s value proposition is found in the REVEAL system, a new proprietary process introduced by Cargill Animal Nutrition. (See sidebar for more on REVEAL system).

“This technology is a breakthrough for us because now we can truly know with a level of precision previously unavailable, the exact nutrient value of our co-products,” says Busch. “As a feed supplier this is huge because now when the Certificate of Analysis is attached to that load of feed, the end user now has options on how to best feed, mix or manage their ration for optimum nutrient value. We’ve now helped address the variability issue that’s limited acceptance of co-products in the past.”