Arasco Visit The UK

Developed by Anitox, a pioneering international corporation providing pathogen elimination and mould control systems to the feed milling industry, together with primary meat, egg and fish producers, Maxi-Mil was originally intended to help feed mills in Asia overcome the problem of moisture loss in finished feed and increase the storage life of bagged feed products by inhibiting mould development. Since then it has been adopted by feed manufacturers throughout the world to reduce shrink/process losses, lower pellet press energy use, increase pellet durability, reduce fines, enhance digestibility, reduce die/roll wear and optimise carbon footprint.

Organised by Reza 'Nick' NikooForsat, the Anitox Distributor for Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other Arabic countries in the Middle East, the visit included a tour of a recently-refurbished feed mill at Piercebridge in County Durham. Operated by FeedCo, a joint venture between Farmway and Lloyds Animal Feeds Ltd, the mill produces over 80,000 tonnes of animal feed annually and uses Maxi-Mil, together with Termin-8®, a biocide and disinfectant developed by Anitox to reduce bacterial levels in feed/feed ingredients. The visitors were given a tour of the facility by Mill Manager Ray Asquith and came away impressed by the results being achieved.

Founded in 1983 as a pure agricultural services company, ARASCO has always focused on quality as its prime distinction. All its efforts are directed towards maintaining the highest international standards and the company is proud of the quality of its products and services. The ARASCO portfolio includes several strategic business units in areas that include feed milling, corn refining, di-calcium phosphate production, poultry processing, logistics, bulk handling, agrochemicals, and analytic services. The ARASCO team includes over 1800 employees located throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its feed mill at the Kharj Industrial Complex producing 650,000 tonnes of mash, crumbed and pelleted feed annually, while its Dammam feed mill has an annual production of 1,000,000 tonnes.

Following the visit Roger Mann of Anitox stated: "Maxi-Mil is used widely throughout the world and its popularity is increasing as feed manufacturers come under increasing pressure to reduce costs and improve efficiency. They are increasingly looking for greater consistency in the finished product, but the perennial issue is inconsistent moisture content in finished product, particularly in very hot climates such as Saudi Arabia where summer temperatures regularly exceed 50°C.

"Recent trials at the International Research Institute of Feed Technology in Germany found that the addition of a one per cent solution of Maxi-Mil increased pellet moisture content by up to 0.7 per cent more than adding one per cent water. It also lowered pellet press electricity requirement by 19 per cent, improved pellet stability and durability, and reduced temperature rise through the pellet press. Beneficial effects were recorded across a range of feedstuffs.

"These findings support the results of Anitox's own global research and extensive field trials in over 50 countries which highlighted that Maxi-Mil reduces die and roll costs by an average of 36 per cent and improves pellet durability by three per cent. During 2008, the combination of benefits in a typical 150,000 tonne mill delivered annual financial savings of US$140,000."