Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Treatment of live animal
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-19
2004-04-27
Sayala, C. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Treatment of live animal
C426S635000, C426S658000, C426S805000, C426S807000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06726941
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to livestock feed products and, in particular, this invention relates to livestock feed products made with byproducts from refining agricultural raw materials.
2. Background
Large amounts of liquid byproducts are generated when agricultural commodities are used to manufacture finished products such as starch, fermentation products, cheese, wood products, and fruit juices. Representative liquid byproducts of this nature are steepwater, stillage, whey, sulfonated lignin materials (lignin sulfonate), hemicellulose extract (liquor), citrus molasses, corn (starch) molasses, soap stocks (vegetable oil refinery lipids), lecithin, condensed extracted glutamic acid fermentation product, and condensed fermentation solubles. Liquid byproducts from refining agricultural products have traditionally been costly to dispose of because they contain high proportions of water and relatively high levels of organic materials. These organic materials are rich in nutrients such as carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins and unknown materials favorable for livestock growth and development. However, the high water content of these liquid byproducts imparts significant disadvantages such as increased weight and perishability and their liquidity requires expensive specialized equipment for transportation, storage, and incorporation into livestock feed.
There is then a need for an easily and efficiently handled feed product, which advantageously and economically uses perishable and substantially liquid agricultural byproducts. There is a particular need for a feed product, which has the nutritive qualities found in these substantially liquid byproducts, yet is easily and economically transported, stored, and dispensed to livestock.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method of making an amorphous solid cast feed product is provided. The method may include condensing a substantially liquid agricultural byproduct; and solidifying the condensed substantially liquid agricultural byproduct to form the amorphous solid cast feed product. The amorphous solid cast feed product may have a solids content between about 71 and 97 weight percent.
An amorphous solid cast feed product is also provided. The amorphous solid cast feed product may include a condensed substantially liquid agricultural byproduct, a 10 weight percent aqueous solution (10% of the present product dissolved in 90% water by weight) of the amorphous solid cast feed product having a pH less than about 7.5.
An amorphous solid cast feed product formed from a process is further provided. The process may include condensing a substantially liquid agricultural byproduct and solidifying the condensed substantially liquid agricultural byproduct. A 10 weight percent aqueous solution of the amorphous solid cast feed product may have a pH less than about 7.5.
Additional objects, advantages, and features of various embodiments of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
An overview of the processes giving rise to steepwater, stillage, and whey is initially provided. Subsequently, the properties and manufacturing protocols for making the products of this invention are described in greater detail. With respect to steepwater and stillage, these manufacturing processes are described with particularity to corn (
Zea mays
L.). However, it is recognized that the methods and products made therefrom are applicable to byproducts from processes which use a wide range of agricultural products, representatives of which are specified and characterized herein. All publications, patents, patent publications, and other documents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Definitions for materials and processes used in the present invention shall be those contained in the 2002 Official Publication of the Association of American Feed Control Officials, Inc., Oxford, Ind.; Corn and Corn Improvement, Third Edition, American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wis. (1988); Corn: Chemistry and Technology, American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc., St. Paul, Minn. (1987), and other incorporated documents. In case of conflict, the definitions contained in the 2002 Official Publication of the Association of American Feed Control Officials, Inc. shall prevail over definitions in other incorporated documents. In the case of conflict between the present specification and any incorporated document, the present specification shall prevail. All percentages and proportions disclosed herein are on a weight basis unless otherwise specified.
The corn wet milling process begins with an initial steep in a water-sulfur dioxide (e.g., 0.12-0.20%) solution. After being steeped, the corn kernels are milled and the kernel components are separated by screening, centrifuging, washing, and subsequent enzymatic conversion to produce starch, oil, feed byproducts, and sweeteners. During steeping, the corn kernels are soaked in water under carefully controlled conditions involving temperature, time, sulfur dioxide concentration, and lactic acid content. Steeping softens the kernels, thereby facilitating separation of the kernel components. In many cases, 1.2-1.4 cubic meters of water per ton of corn (8-9 gallons per bushel) is used for steeping. Usually, about 0.5 cubic meters of water per ton of corn (3.5 gallons per bushel) is absorbed by the corn kernels during the steeping process. The remaining 0.7-0.9 cubic meter of water per ton of corn (4.5-5.5 gallons per bushel) is withdrawn before the soaked corn kernels are processed. This withdrawn steepwater contains solubles soaked out of (solubilized from) the corn during steeping. On a dry matter basis, steepwater often contains 0.05-0.06 ton of solids per ton of corn processed (2.8-3.6 pounds per bushel of 56 pounds). Steepwater may be added to wort being fermented or may be evaporated to a solids content of about 50 percent. When steepwater has been evaporated to a solids content of about 50 percent, the resulting material is called steep liquor, heavy corn steepwater, or condensed fermented corn extractives.
The distillation and fermentation industries manufacture compounds such as ethanol, butyl alcohol, acetone, lactic acid, and distilled spirits (e.g., whiskey). Corn is a major raw material used in the production of these materials. For example, in the production of ethanol from corn, the corn kernels are cleaned, degermed, ground into meal, and then cooked into a mash. Alternatively, starch from wet milling may be used as a substrate. In either case, the starch is usually converted into sugar by the action of diastatic enzymes. Yeast (
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
) is then added to induce fermentation of the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. After fermentation is complete, the spent grains are removed and the wort is distilled to recover the alcohol. The liquid remaining after the alcohol has been distilled therefrom is known as stillage. Water from the stillage is often evaporated to a solids content of about 50 percent to form distillers solubles. In some instances, steepwater is a component of the wort, the carbohydrates thereof being used as a substrate during fermentation. In other situations, steepwater is blended with stillage, then evaporated to a higher solids content. Hence, the term stillage is intended to include stillage derived from wort formed by blending steepwater with other materials and a blend of stillage and steepwater. The term condensed distillers solubles is intended to encompass materials resulting from evaporating stillage formed by any of the foregoing methods.
When cheese is being made, milk is curdled using a proteolytic enzyme called rennet. The role of rennet is to destabilize casein micelles in the milk, thereby coagulating the casein micelles. The rennet destabilizes the casein micelles by breaking down kappa-casein present on the micelle surfaces, whic
Ethington, Jr. Reed T.
Lessman Randall M.
Archer Daniels Midland Company
Sayala C.
Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.
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