November 5, 2009

Roquette to test fermented chicken feed

French starch and animal feed maker Roquette will soon be testing chicken feed that contains a fermentation-based ingredient that could remove a chemical production process that uses a derivative of crude oil.

Under an exclusive licensing deal in 2005 with Metabolix Explorer (METEX.PA), Roquette will use a feed including an amino acid methionine developed by the French biological chemistry company on thousands for chickens for several weeks.

At the same time, tests will start to win regulatory marketing approval for the product.

A spokesman for Metabolix Explorer said these tests could take at least 18 months.

Methionine is an essential component of poultry and piglet feed and as an animal feed is estimated to be worth EUR2.2 billion (US$3.26 billion) worldwide this year.

Up to now amino acid is made by using propylene, which originates from crude oil.

Test results from Metabolix Explorer's fermentation-based L-Methionine production process, using renewable raw materials, showed the feed was at least as nutritional as the feeds with petrochemical-based DL-Methionine.