August 5, 2011

Novus's MINTREX gets new feed ingredient definition category from AAFCO

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has accepted a new feed ingredient definition category for Novus International, Inc.'s MINTREX^® chelated trace minerals.

AAFCO, a non-profit voluntary organisation which sets standards for the quality and safety of animal feed, accepted the new definition on July 31, during its 2011 Ingredient Definitions Committee Meeting in Austin, Texas, US.

The Division of Animal Feeds within the US Food and Drug Administration Centre for Veterinary Medicine, which had formalised its relationship with AAFCO in identifying feed ingredients in 2007, had accepted the chelated trace minerals category earlier this year and recommended that AAFCO accept this definition for inclusion in its official publication.

"The formation of a new feed ingredient category for MINTREX is an extremely important step that gives us the opportunity to define a new class of trace minerals," said Dr Chris Knight, Vice President of Research and Development for Novus. "This announcement demonstrates to our customers in the animal health and nutrition industry that MINTREX is a next-generation trace mineral, truly defined as a chelate."

MINTREX Cu, Zn and Mn supply the essential trace minerals copper, zinc and manganese respectively. It can be added to feed for poultry, dairy and beef cattle, and hogs, as well as companion animal and equine diets. As it is a highly bioavailable mineral source, MINTREX is absorbed and used by the animal to a much greater degree than comparable inorganic trace mineral supplements. This enables producers to maintain feeding efficiency with fewer minerals fed and excreted.

In scientific terms, chelation means the trace minerals in MINTREX are bound with a ligand. This creates a stable complex in the acidic pH of the upper gastrointestinal tract, and reduces break-up, or dissociation, of the mineral. It also helps reduce losses caused by antagonisms, and protects the mineral for efficient delivery and uptake in the small intestine.

AAFCO has no regulatory authority in itself, but its members may have enforcement authority in their respective state or federal agency.