INFORM April 2026

PRESERVING MEAL INFORM 27

Oilseed meal derived from soybeans and rapeseed is a critical component of modern animal feed. After oil extraction, the residual meal serves as a primary protein source for livestock and dairy production, influencing animal health, productivity, and feed efficiency across the supply chain. As global demand for protein continues to rise, the processing and stabilization of oilseed meal have become increasingly important. For many years, chemical additives were widely used to manage microbial risk in oilseed meal. Formaldehyde became a standard solution because it was compatible with existing production infrastructure and effective in suppressing pathogens such as Salmonella . It was easy to apply, economical, and well understood by operators. Over time, however, concerns regarding worker exposure, environmental impact, and downstream food safety began to reshape perceptions of chemical preservatives. These concerns have increasingly translated into regulatory action. In several regions, including parts of use of formaldehyde in animal feed has been restricted or banned outright. For oilseed processors, this shift presents a complex challenge. Alternatives must deliver the same level of microbial control while maintaining nutritional integrity, operational reliability, and economic feasibility at an industrial scale.

Thermal treatment has emerged as a leading chemical-free alternative, but it introduces its own set of constraints. Applying heat to protein-rich material requires careful control to avoid damaging amino acids or reducing digestibility. Uniform treatment is essential, as uneven heating can compromise product consistency and performance. At the same time, thermal systems can significantly increase energy consumption if heating and cooling are designed as separate, standalone steps. These competing pressures formed the backdrop for a process redesign undertaken by Royal Agrifirm at an oilseed meal facility in the Netherlands. INDUSTRY CONTEXT AND THE SHIFT AWAY FROM CHEMICAL ADDITIVES The move away from chemical preservatives in animal feed reflects a broader shift toward cleaner and more transparent food and feed supply chains. Feed producers are under increasing pressure from regulators, customers, and downstream food brands to reduce reliance on chemical inputs and demonstrate tighter control over processing conditions. In oilseed meal production, this pressure is particularly acute. Meal is often stored and transported in bulk, creating conditions where

microbial growth can occur if it is not sufficiently stabilized. Historically, chemical additives provided a relatively simple safeguard. Removing them forced processors to rethink how to achieve safety at a more fundamental process level. Thermal alternatives offer a direct means of microbial control, but they also expose inefficiencies that were previously tolerated. Heating and cooling large volumes of solids requires significant energy, and in many conventional systems, that energy is added and removed without any attempt at recovery. As energy costs rise and carbon-reduction targets become more stringent, this inefficiency becomes increasingly difficult to justify. REGULATORY PRESSURE AND PROJECT OBJECTIVES AT AGRIFIRM For Agrifirm, the immediate catalyst for change was an upcoming Dutch regulation prohibiting the use of formaldehyde in animal feed. Rather than pursuing incremental modifications or temporary workarounds, Agrifirm chose to invest in a new treatment line designed to operate without chemical additives while meeting internal safety and quality standards. They selected radio frequency treatment as the primary technology for microbial control. Unlike conventional

contact heating, radio frequency systems heat materials volumetrically