Why low-cost binders ultimately cost you more money

In brief:

• Unspecific binders create a false economy for protein producers, as they not only bind mycotoxins, but also essential nutrients like amino acids and vitamins – ultimately compromising performance.
• Binding performance varies widely among products, even within the same binder class. Inconsistency in product quality is a red flag for producers, with wide variability in Deoxynivalenol (DON) and Aflatoxin B1 (AfB1) adsorption rates across different binder types and pH levels demonstrates.
• Mycofix® delivers proven, specific mycotoxin deactivation without interfering with nutritional or veterinary inputs.

What are binders? 

Mycotoxin binders are feed additives used to reduce the absorption of harmful mycotoxins in a food animal’s gut by binding them and preventing their absorption into the bloodstream and subsequent distribution to target organs such as the liver, kidneys, or immune tissues.

Binders fall into three main groups: 

• Inorganic: such as bentonites and zeolites
• Organic: such as yeast cell wall components like MOS and β-glucans
• Activated materials: such as charcoal

While some offer good binding capacity, many are unspecific, meaning they can also bind valuable nutrients. 

Unspecific binders: a false economy

In animal protein production, profit is made by controlling input costs. One of the biggest, if not the number one, costs of production is feed. It is understandable that producers may look to low-cost mycotoxin binders to supplement their high-cost nutrition program. But choosing unspecific binders, often selected for their low cost, can have unintended and costly consequences. 

Not only do these materials bind mycotoxins, but they can also adsorb essential nutrients such as amino acids, vitamins, and trace elements. This phenomenon undermines animal performance and nutritional efficiency, eroding the feed rations’ true value. 

When amino acids, vitamins, and trace elements are adsorbed by unspecific binders in the gastrointestinal tract, they are no longer bioavailable to the animal. This leads to reduced feed efficiency, compromised immunity, slower growth, and suboptimal production performance. Over time, this translates to tangible economic loss - from increased veterinary costs, to lower feed conversion ratios, and reduced market weights.

This nutrient loss is often hidden and may manifest as producers missing production targets while “doing everything right”. Feed formulations may appear to meet nutritional specifications on paper, but if a portion of the nutrients is hit by unspecified binders and rendered unavailable, the actual delivered value is diminished. This effect can be especially damaging in high-performance systems where nutrient density is carefully calculated.

Poor performance: the good, the bad and the ugly

The issue is well illustrated by the data from extensive binder evaluations at dsm-firmenich, including a project that tested over 300 substances encompassing mineral clays, organoclays, charcoals, and yeast derivatives. These materials were assessed for their binding capacity under different conditions for AfB1. 

AfB1 adsorption data under the same standardised testing protocol. Again, inorganic binders showed a broad range of results, and not all products achieved sufficient binding. This variability underscores the importance of specificity and consistency in binder performance. A product that underperforms even modestly may allow residual mycotoxins to pass through the gastrointestinal tract and exert negative effects on animal health and productivity.

Mycofix®: only binds the bad stuff

The Mycofix® product line is designed around the principle of selective adsorption. It targets harmful mycotoxins like AfB1 while leaving beneficial nutrients untouched. This is achieved through a combination of mineral binders with known specificity and proprietary additives that enhance detoxification while avoiding interference with nutrient absorption.

Unlike many bentonite-based binders, Mycofix® Secure has demonstrated minimal interaction with oral antimicrobials and coccidiostats. Testing in simulated gastrointestinal conditions showed that Mycofix® does not significantly adsorb veterinary actives such as enrofloxacin or bactericins. Additionally, Mycofix® operates well below the EU maximum allowable levels for bentonite in feed (20 kg/t), with typical inclusion rates ranging from 0.5 to 3 kg/t. 

To demonstrate this capability, Mycofix® Secure was subjected to controlled testing for potential nutrient interactions. Conducted in an external accredited laboratory, the study evaluated concentrations of amino acids and vitamins in feed with and without the addition of 0.2% Mycofix® Secure. 

The results were conclusive: no significant differences were observed between the control and Mycofix®-supplemented feeds, indicating that Mycofix® does not adsorb amino acids or vitamins under practical inclusion levels. 

What’s next?

Precision matters - unspecific binding leads to nutrient loss and hidden costs. Mycofix® is a proven solution for targeted mycotoxin control without the nutritional cost – because when it comes to mycotoxin risk management, the cheapest solution on the invoice can become the most expensive in practice.