Bio-deactivation of anti-nutritional factors

01Overview and value chain

Markers: [EC: EU feed additive authorization (Regulation (EC) 1831/2003) | OECD: Food systems | Regulator: EFSA (EU), FDA (USA), MARA (China)]

Bio-deactivation of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) applies enzymes and controlled fermentation to neutralize the phytic acid, trypsin inhibitors, β-conglycinin and oligosaccharides naturally present in soy, legume and cereal-based feed and food ingredients, which otherwise bind minerals and amino acids or interfere with digestion. In the EU, DSM-Firmenich received EU authorization on 24 September 2024 for HiPhorius, a next-generation phytase for all poultry species, Suidae (pigs and sows) and fin fish, achieving faster and more complete phytate degradation than earlier-generation phytases. Also in the EU, Denmark’s Hamlet Protein produces specialty fermented soy-based protein ingredients that hold ANF levels — trypsin inhibitors, β-conglycinin, galacto-oligosaccharides — consistently low batch to batch regardless of raw-material variability, and was acquired by Royal Agrifirm Group in a deal completed in May 2026. In China, Vland Biotech’s feed-grade phytase degrades phytate-bound phosphorus in plant-based feed ingredients, cutting livestock and poultry manure phosphorus excretion by 30–60% while releasing bound minerals, amino acids and trace elements for absorption. In the US, Novus International has published a decade-plus data review flagging trypsin inhibitors as a more significant, underappreciated risk in soy-based poultry and swine diets than previously recognized — even after conventional heat processing — and is pairing protease-enzyme supplementation with near-infrared (NIR) testing for more frequent raw-material screening.

The key directions of bio-deactivation of anti-nutritional factors are:

1. Phytase-mediated phytate degradation (Phytase-Mediated Phytate Degradation): enzymes hydrolyzing phytic acid to release bound phosphorus, minerals and amino acids, cutting manure phosphorus and inorganic phosphate supplementation.
2. Fermentation-based trypsin-inhibitor and oligosaccharide removal (Fermentation-Based Trypsin-Inhibitor and Oligosaccharide Removal): controlled microbial fermentation of soy/legume meal degrading protease inhibitors and oligosaccharides for young-animal digestibility.
3. Protease-mediated trypsin-inhibitor neutralization (Protease-Mediated Trypsin-Inhibitor Neutralization): feed enzyme blends breaking down residual trypsin inhibitors that survive conventional heat processing.
4. Rapid ANF quality screening (Rapid ANF Quality Screening): near-infrared and other rapid analytical technologies for real-time assessment of raw-material ANF variability, replacing infrequent lab testing.

Sectoral value chain

[raw material intake] ──> [ANF profiling/screening] ──> [bio-deactivation treatment] ──> [nutrient-release verification]
                                                                              │
                                                                       (digestibility/
                                                                        phosphorus gain)
                                                                              │
                                                                              ▼
[animal performance/sale] <─── [feed/ingredient formulation] <─────────────────┘

Value chain levels

Cross-cutting technologies of the sector:

• Microbial phytase enzymology (Microbial Phytase Enzymology): Aspergillus- and E. coli-derived phytases that hydrolyze phytic acid’s phosphate esters to release bound phosphorus and minerals.
• Controlled fermentation of legume meal (Controlled Fermentation of Legume Meal): defined fermentation processes degrading trypsin inhibitors, β-conglycinin and galacto-oligosaccharides in soy/legume ingredients.
• Rapid NIR-based ANF analytics (Rapid NIR-Based ANF Analytics): near-infrared testing enabling frequent, batch-level screening of raw-material ANF variability in place of infrequent lab assays.

02US

The US contributes an awareness and rapid-testing layer to ANF management, led by a feed-additive originator flagging a long-underestimated risk rather than a phytase-manufacturing base.

trypsin-inhibitor awareness research, NIR rapid-testing push, protease-based mitigation

• Novus International: published a decade-plus data review concluding trypsin inhibitors in soybean meal have a more significant impact on protein digestion and amino-acid availability than previously recognized, even after conventional heat processing, and is promoting protease-enzyme supplementation paired with near-infrared (NIR) testing for more frequent raw-material screening than traditional lab methods allow.

03CN

China anchors large-scale industrial phytase manufacturing aimed at cutting the phosphorus load that plant-based feed’s phytic acid content otherwise sends into livestock manure.

phytase-mediated phosphorus release, manure phosphorus reduction, listed industrial-enzyme scale

• Vland Biotech: produces a feed-grade phytase that degrades phytate-bound phosphorus in plant-based feed ingredients, releasing bound minerals, amino acids and trace elements for absorption while cutting livestock and poultry manure phosphorus excretion by 30–60%.

04EU

The EU anchors both next-generation phytase enzyme authorization and a distinct fermentation-based approach targeting non-phytate ANFs in soy, now consolidating under strategic (rather than private-equity) feed- industry ownership.

next-generation EU-authorized phytase, fermentation-based soy ANF removal, private-equity-to-strategic ownership shift

• DSM-Firmenich: received EU authorization on 24 September 2024 for HiPhorius, a next-generation phytase for all poultry species, Suidae and fin fish, achieving faster, more complete phytate degradation than earlier-generation phytases and reducing reliance on inorganic phosphorus supplements.
• Hamlet Protein: produces specialty fermented soy-based protein ingredients holding trypsin-inhibitor, β-conglycinin and galacto-oligosaccharide levels consistently low batch to batch for young-animal diets; acquired by Royal Agrifirm Group in a deal completed May 2026, moving from private-equity to strategic ownership within Agrifirm’s Specialties division.

05Leading companies and research institutes

06Tech stack and innovations

The stack pairs enzymatic and fermentation-based deactivation with rapid analytical screening.

1. Phytase enzymology (Phytase Enzymology):
   • microbial phytases hydrolyze phytic acid’s phosphate esters, releasing bound phosphorus, minerals and amino acids that would otherwise pass through the animal unabsorbed.
   • case: DSM-Firmenich’s HiPhorius achieves faster, more complete phytate degradation than earlier-generation phytases, EU-authorized for poultry, pigs and fin fish.
2. Fermentation-based ANF reduction (Fermentation-Based ANF Reduction):
   • controlled microbial fermentation of soybean/legume meal degrades trypsin inhibitors, β-conglycinin and galacto-oligosaccharides that survive conventional heat processing.
   • case: Hamlet Protein’s process holds ANF levels consistently low batch to batch regardless of raw-material variability.
3. Rapid ANF analytics (Rapid ANF Analytics):
   • near-infrared (NIR) and similar rapid-testing technologies screen incoming raw materials for ANF variability far more frequently than traditional lab assays allow.
   • case: Novus International pairs protease supplementation with NIR testing to catch trypsin-inhibitor variability that traditional testing methods miss.

07Value chains and production pipelines

Industrial pipeline of enzymatic/fermentation ANF deactivation (EU Regulation (EC) 1831/2003 feed-additive framework)

┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 1. Raw material intake    │ ───> │ 2. ANF profiling/screening│
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘
                                                 │
                                                 ▼
┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 4. Nutrient-release verif.│ <─── │ 3. Bio-deactivation treat.│
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘
              │
              ▼
┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 5. Feed/ingredient formul.│ ───> │ 6. Animal performance/sale│
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘

Stage 1: Raw material intake

Soy, legume or cereal-based feed/food ingredient arrives carrying naturally variable levels of phytate, trypsin inhibitors or oligosaccharides.

Stage 2: ANF profiling/screening

Near-infrared or other rapid analytical testing assesses the batch’s specific ANF content, replacing infrequent traditional lab assays.

Stage 3: Bio-deactivation treatment

Phytase or protease enzymes, or a controlled fermentation process, are applied to neutralize the profiled anti-nutritional factors.

Stage 4: Nutrient-release verification

The phosphorus, mineral or amino-acid release achieved by the treatment is confirmed against the pre-treatment baseline.

Stage 5: Feed/ingredient formulation

The verified, ANF-reduced ingredient is incorporated into a finished feed or food formulation.

Stage 6: Animal performance/sale

Growth, digestibility and manure-phosphorus outcomes are measured, and the finished ANF-managed formulation is sold.