One Product, Three Modes of Action
AFG®: Animal Feed Grade
One Powerful Molecule, Three Essential Modes of Action
The power of AFG® (sodium bisulfate) as a functional feed ingredient can be explained through its unique chemistry. When AFG encounters moisture, it transforms – dissociating into sodium, hydrogen and sulfate. This disassociation process initiates three distinct modes of action that optimize feed quality, enzyme efficiency and intestinal integrity.
Acidity Creates an Ideal Environment to Support Digestion
AFG is a powerful mineral acid (pKa 1.99) designed to help nutritionists reduce the pH of the crop and upper GI tract.
Optimal Enzyme Environment
By lowering the pH, AFG enhances the activity of exogenous and endogenous enzymes, leading to better mineral and nutrient digestion.
Reduced Buffering Interference
Ingredients such as calcium and phosphorus are essential for growth, but some ingredients added to feeds to supply these minerals have a high buffering capacity that can unintentionally raise gut pH. In monogastric nutrition, the digestion process can be aided by managing the acid buffering capacity (ABC). Through pH reduction, AFG offsets the buffering effects of various mineral sources added to diets, ensuring the animal doesn’t waste metabolic energy trying to maintain an acidic gut environment for digestion.
Sulfate: The Foundation of Gut Health
AFG provides the highest sulfate content of any feed ingredient, which is vital for maintaining healthy tissues and mucin – the first line of defense in the gastrointestinal tract.
Fortify the Intestinal Barrier
During mucin formation inside goblet cells of intestinal tissue, sulfate ions are added to mucin molecules, thus creating sulfomucins. Sulfomucins are known to improve mucus layer integrity by resisting bacterial and enzymatic degradation.
Support Resilience During Challenge
Research shows that birds fed AFG have a significant increase in sulfomucin-positive goblet cells. This results in a denser, more viscous mucus layer that is less hospitable to pathogens and more resilient during a coccidiosis challenge.
Improve Morphology
Stronger gut integrity leads to increased villus height and a better villus-to-crypt ratio, maximizing the surface area for nutrient absorption.
Sodium that Revolutionizes the Feed Mill
AFG isn’t just a chloride-free sodium source; it’s a milling efficiency agent. AFG is highly hygroscopic, so it changes the physical dynamics of the pelleting process.
Increased Throughput
By attracting moisture during the mixing phase, AFG helps lubricate the die, allowing the mash to pass through more smoothly.
Reduced Operational Costs
In commercial trials, the inclusion of AFG has been shown to reduce pellet mill motor load by 4%, potentially increasing feed throughput.
Superior Pellet Quality
The moisture-binding properties of AFG result in a higher Pellet Durability Index (PDI) and fewer fines, ensuring that the nutrition you formulate actually reaches the bird.
One Product, Diverse Benefits
By aligning the chemistry of the feed with the biology of the bird, AFG delivers diverse, measurable results.
Increased carcass yield and increased breast yield Learn more >
Improved gut morphology and decreased gut leakage (FITC-D assay) Learn more >
Decreased kill age and increased livability
Increased average daily gain
Improved FCR
Increased AA digestibility
Learn more about AFG - Animal Feed Grade
Product details
– Contains 19.7% sodium* and sulfur (26%)
– Inclusion rate between 0.3% and 0.4% in diet
– Available in 50 lb. bags, 2,000 lb. totes and bulk
– GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status under FDA
– Mixes well in diets
– Produced in compliance with Food Safety and Modernization Act
– Recognized by AAFCO
*sodium range 19.5% – 19.9%
Implementation and Product Support
We understand that feed mills are diverse and complex operations. Our experienced, highly-trained engineering and technical support staff are ready to assist you in adding AFG to your feed mill operation to ensure a smooth, safe and accurate implementation.
AFG Resources
