Solenis announced during the recent Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) the launch of a novel family of antibiotic-free fermentation aids to help ethanol producers improve efficiency of the ethanol production process. The aids also, said Solenis, will address consumer concerns about antibiotics in the food chain. While the ethanol produced from an ethanol production plant is not ingested, one byproduct is distillers grains (DDGs), an animal feed. Solenis said today’s typical fermentation processes control undesirable microorganisms using antibiotics, which remain in the resulting distillers grains. The company also launched a scale inhibitor during #FEW15.
“As consumer demands and regulatory requirements continue to become more stringent, current antimicrobials, and specifically antibiotics, may be further subject to maximum contaminate limits,” said Allen Ziegler, global biorefining marketing 
director. “As a result, our new fermentation aids give fuel ethanol producers more tools to address undesirable microorganisms without antibiotics, while helping them boost production and satisfy consumers at the same time.”
According to Solenis, their family of fermentation aids, which includes three patented and patent-pending products, significantly enhances the ability of yeast to compete with undesirable microorganisms in the critical initial stages of propagation and fermentation without the use of antibiotics—an increasingly important goal for fuel ethanol producers.
Designed to promote beneficial yeast growth and efficiency in both high pH and standard pH fermentation processes, Solenis said their fermentation aids are based on advanced proprietary and targeted antimicrobial technology. While the products were initially developed for fuel ethanol production, they also have practical application in other commercial fermentation processes.
“We will continue to anticipate and proactively address our customers’ needs to optimize processes while staying ahead of evolving regulations,” added John Panichella, president and CEO. “With close to 100 years of experience in process and water treatment chemistries, Solenis is committed to serving the fuel ethanol and biorefining industries with our well-respected and diverse product line, along with our application expertise and our investment in research and development.”
2015 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Photo Album
