Raw material and nutrient lexicon

Wheat(Triticum sativum) is the most important domestic cereal and is grown as winter or spring wheat. Its value for human nutrition depends on its baking ability, i.e. composition and content of gluten protein. For animal nutrition, the starch(approx. 58 %) and protein(approx. 12-14 %) contentare significant. This also determines the energy content.

Young monogastrics such as piglets can only incompletely digest the starch from wheat due to the limited production of the starch-cleaving enzyme amylase. There is a risk that undigested amounts of starch enter the large intestine, where they are available as food for potential harmful germs, which can cause diarrhoea, for example. To prevent this, part of the wheat contained in the feed for piglets is specifically treated and broken down using the opticon pressure hydrothermal process technology developed and patented by Deutsche Tiernahrung Cremer. During this starch digestion process, the structure of the starch grains is significantly changed, resulting in a virtually complete gelatinisation of the starch. As a result, the starch can be broken down quickly and extensively by the enzyme amylase, even at lower enzyme concentrations in the small intestine-the resulting sugar chainscan be absorbed from the intestine and are available to the animal as energy in the metabolism. By treating the wheat using the opticon technique, a starch breakdown rate of at least 70 % is achieved.

Sources: DLG feed value tables for pigs; DLG feed value tables for ruminants; Rechenmeister 2000 (Chamber of Agriculture Westphalia-Lippe); CVB Veevoedertabel; DLG Information 2/2001 Structure and carbohydrate supply of the dairy cow