ingredients, according to Sparla: “It’s a question of finding a balance between the wishes of the customer and what is ac- ceptable for the feed. For instance enzymes and vitamins are heat-sensitive and extensive heating can lead to a decline in their activity.”


Cooling the feed After the heat treatment, the meal is cooled in a double deck cooler to a maximum of 5 degrees above the outside air tem- perature. According to Ottenschot, cooling is the most risky step in the process: “Condensation during the cooling process can lead to recontamination. That’s why the air in the cooler is preheated first; this prevents condensation.” After cooling, the


product is transported to a mixer in top of the tower. Because of the use of a counter-flow cooler, there is a chance that seg- regation will occur. This makes it necessary to remix the prod- uct. The end product is stored in separate silos to prevent re- contamination. Ottenschot: “We ensure that clean feed stays clean.” Sparla adds: “The product is transported to the cus- tomer in special trucks; however, when it’s at the farm the feed is no longer protected. So it’s advisable to use an acid additive in addition to the heat treatment.”


ForFarmers produces around 140,000 tons per year of this special poultry feed, as demand for heated poultry meal is also growing in countries outside the Netherlands.


▶ ALL ABOUT FEED | Volume 28, No. 9, 2020 19


The construction of the produc- tion line required tight planning and preparation. It had to be in- stalled floor by floor.


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