Methods for producing a stable fat suspension feed supplement

Abstract

There is disclosed a stable animal feed supplement suspension which is prepared by forming a stable liquid gel in concentrated food industry by-products such as by-products of the dairy industry, such as whey permeates, delactosed whey, and by-products of the fermentation industry, such as whey and corn sweet water. These by-products have not been used with any significant success in animal feed supplements, despite their low cost and disposal problems. A major disadvantage is their limited solubility, and the resultant instability of concentrates of the by-products. The invention comprises the treatment of the protein-rich by-products with a mild enzymatic treatment which stabilizes the by-products against protein gelation, and the thermal, and/or enzymatic treatment of the lactose-rich by-products to avoid separation of the lactose from concentrates. The by-products can then be concentrated to high solids content, in excess of 50 weight percent, and the resultant concentrates can be treated with gelation agents, preferably phosphoric acid and lime to form stable liquid gels, to which feed nutrients such as fats, urea, sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, etc., or drugs such as monisan, can be added, forming a stable liquid suspension which is useful as an animal feed supplement.