Soy protein concentrate (SPC) is made from soybeans as raw material. It removes oil, low-molecular soluble non-protein components (mainly soluble sugar, ash, prolamin and various odor substances, etc.), the protein content can reach 65%. It can effectively reduce or remove some anti-nutritional factors in soybean meal, greatly improving the nutritional value.

The application effect of SPC in piglet feed

The study found that for piglets aged 14 to 35 days, using soy protein concentrate instead of 14% equal protein milk powder can achieve the same feed intake and growth rate. An Australian experiment showed that piglets (15 to 36 days old) consuming feed containing soy protein concentrate (10% soy protein concentrate + 10% whey powder) have same feed intake and growth rate as those consuming feed containing 20% skimmed milk powder.

Effects of SPC application in early weaning calf feed

The researchers fed Holstein cow calves aged 8 to 12 days with milk, milk replacer with "soy protein concentrate" as the protein source, and "soy protein concentrate + corn gluten" as the protein source, tested for 51 days. The test results showed that the daily weight gain of the three groups were 510.29 grams, 450.98 grams and 579.74 grams respectively. The milk replacer powder used "soy protein concentrate + corn gluten" as the protein source. The daily weight gain of the group was better than that of the other groups; there was no significant difference in the concentrations of serum calcium, phosphorus, iron, total protein, blood sugar, urea nitrogen and triglyceride among the three groups of calves; the feeding cost of the milk replacer group was lower than that of the milk group , among which the "soy protein concentrate + corn protein" group was the lowest. It can be seen that the combined use of soy protein concentrate and corn protein can be used as a protein source for calf milk replacer, and there may be a certain complementarity between different protein sources; the daily weight gain of calves fed milk replacer is not lower than that of fresh calves, and the feeding cost is lower than that of fresh milk breeding method.

The application effect of SPC in aquaculture

The study found that for juvenile large yellow croaker, replacing part of the fish meal with SPC and supplementing an appropriate amount of methionine and lysine had no significant effect on the survival rate, specific growth rate, weight gain rate and feed coefficient of large yellow croaker, indicating that replacing fishmeal with SPC will not affect the growth of large yellow croaker seedlings.

Since the lysine and methionine content of SPC is slightly lower than that of fish meal, especially methionine, an excessively high proportion of fish meal replacement level will have a negative impact on the growth of farmed fish. Supplementing synthetic amino acids with appropriate amounts of attractants in feed can significantly improve the level of fish meal substitution.

Adding soy protein concentrate to feed has no adverse effects on the intestinal tract of young animals. SPC is widely used in suckling pig, aquatic products, calves, and pet feed due to its high-quality product characteristics. There are some comparisons of SPC with other raw materials:

1. Compared with fish meal, the supply of fish meal is limited, the quality is unstable, it is not suitable for storage, the crude ash content is high, and toxic ingredients such as biogenic amines can also cause harm to young animals.

2. Compared with skimmed milk powder, the protein and amino acid content of skimmed milk powder are lower than that of soy protein concentrate.

3. Compared with plasma protein powder, plasma protein powder comes from animals and is expensive. Using less or even no feed animal protein raw materials can further ensure the food safety of meat, eggs, milk, fish and shrimp. Besides, it can also improve food quality, be durable in storage, have a long shelf life, and save costs.