There has been concern about the quality of dried distillers grains (DDG) but once again, tests show that they are safe. Phibro Animal Health Corporation (PHAC) has just released test results from its Ethanol Performance Group™ that no virginiamycin has been detected in distillers’ grain. Virginiamycin is the active ingredient in Lactrol®, the company’s market leading antimicrobial for ethanol production. PAHC just concluded testing over 40 samples, which included wet and dry distillers’ grain and distillers’ grain with syrup. Samples were taken from 11 facilities and testing was conducted by an outside laboratory and by Phibro’s technical service laboratory in St. Paul, Minn. These results are not different than those from 2005 and 2007.

Using the only testing method accepted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in virginiamycin feed assays, no residues were detected in any of the 42 DDG samples. This method will be part of PAHC’s food additive petition to be submitted to the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) in September 2009 for its Lactrol® antimicrobial. Lactrol® is a market leading infection management tool used for decades by the fuel ethanol industry and to date is the only antimicrobial product ever to be reviewed by the CVM for use in ethanol production. Results continue to demonstrate that Lactrol®, when used as indicated, allows ethanol producers to produce the most alcohol from the least amount of corn.

Antimicrobials are a widely used and important tool for infection management in ethanol production. While technical advances continue in manufacturing design and operation, bacteria are still present during fermentation and prevent optimal yields of ethanol. The ethanol industry has recognized that through the use of small amounts of antimicrobials such as Lactrol®, the United States annually gains an extra 1.5 billion gallons of ethanol from the corn feedstock currently used by the industry.

Domestic Fuel is sponsoring a Process Optimization Seminar being presented by Phibro Ethanol Performance Group, Fremont Industries, Fermentis and Novozymes. The event is July 29-30 in Minneapolis, Minn. You can register by clicking here.