The science of lipids:
much more than energy
Fats are a key component in animal nutrition, and their proper management can make a decisive difference in productive performance. Far from being merely a concentrated source of energy, lipids act as essential structural and functional nutrients that can boost efficiency when they are selected and applied with precision.
Precision nutrition
What exactly are fats and oils?
From a chemical point of view, fats are hydrophobic organic compounds: they are insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents. In animal nutrition, approximately 98% of lipids are triglycerides.
Strategic Solutions: Beyond Energy Density
Including fats in the diet is essential because of their unique energy density. While carbohydrates and proteins provide around 4 kcal/g, fats provide about 9.3 kcal/g, which is 2.25 to 3 times more energy and allows highly concentrated diets for animals with very high requirements.
However, the real value of our Fat Technologies lies in their vital functions and the ability to act as special targeted ingredients:
Structural and Regulatory
Fats are essential for cell membranes and as precursors of steroid hormones (reproduction) and prostaglandins (immune response).
Transport Vehicle
They are indispensable for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K).
Precision Nutrition
Products are selected by their fatty acid profile (basic components that determine digestibility and biological value), allowing us to direct energy to an exact target.
Fatty acids: Precision nutrition
Fatty acids are the basic components that determine the nutritional properties (digestibility, melting point, biological value) of fat.
They are classified according to two criteria:
1. Chain Length
Short and Medium (MCFA): <12 carbons. Rapid absorption and bactericidal effects.
Long (LCFA): >12 carbons. The most common (e.g. Palmitic, Oleic).
2. Degree of Saturation
Saturated (SFA): No double bonds. Solid and stable (e.g. C16:0).
Unsaturated (UFA): With double bonds. Liquid and reactive (e.g. Oleic, Linoleic).
Fatty acids: choosing the right profile
Fatty acids determine digestibility, melting point and biological value of fats. By selecting the right chain length and saturation, we activate the exact productive objective.
Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA)
Rapid absorption and strong bactericidal/bacteriostatic effect. Act as non-antibiotic growth promoters, improving immunity and production rates.
Líneas de Producto:
Palmitic acid
Increases de novo fat synthesis, improves milk fat percentage and helps mitigate loss of body condition thanks to its specific metabolic behaviour.
Oleic acid
Maximises total fat digestibility, stimulates insulin and supports oocyte and embryo development.
Líneas de Producto:
Linoleic acid
Increases PGF2α levels, supports calving and is associated with improved reproductive performance.
Líneas de Producto:
Linolenic acid
Precursor of progesterone, helps maintain pregnancy, improves embryo survival and reduces mortality.
Líneas de Producto:
Bypass fat technologies for high-performing dairy cows
The main challenge in high-yielding dairy cows is overcoming Negative Energy Balance (NEB). In the rumen, biohydrogenation saturates unsaturated fatty acids and, in excess, can be toxic for fibre-digesting flora and reduce fibre digestibility. Our latest production technology provides rumen-inert (bypass) fats that maximise intestinal absorption and productive response.
Calcium soaps (RUMINER line)
Technology:Saponified fats, rumen-inert
Applications:Improve overall fat digestibility and emulsification, support body condition and reproductive performance.
Solution Line:
Specific fat technologies for swine and poultry
In swine and poultry, fat technologies must solve different physiological challenges: from immature digestion in piglets to the risk of soft carcasses or the need for rapid growth and egg production in poultry.
Sows
Challenge:Energy deficit in hyper-prolific sows during late gestation and lactation.
Solution: Lipid supplementation with Omega-3 and Omega-6 sources (Ruminer ω3 / ω6) to increase energy density, limit body-weight loss and improve litter weight at weaning.
Related products:
Piglets
Challenge:Immature digestive system with low lipase and bile-salt production.
Solution: Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA, Lipibiotic) with high digestibility (do not require micelles) and bactericidal/bacteriostatic properties for gut health.
Related products:
Fattening pigs / carcass quality
Challenge:Risk of soft carcasses due to excessive unsaturated fats.
Solution: Use of hydrogenated, fractionated fats or calcium soaps to increase firmness of backfat and improve technological meat quality (Ruminer, Ruminer ω9, Monofat O, NL C16).
Related products:
Poultry
Challenge:Need for rapid growth and peak lay while maintaining gut health.
Solution: Technical fats to increase metabolizable energy, improve pellet quality (fewer fines) and enhance feed stability, supported by MCFA-based products (LIPIBIOTIC).
Related products:
Fats provide the highest energy density in the diet (9.3 kcal/g), but their true value goes much further. They are structural components of cell membranes, precursors of reproductive hormones and prostaglandins, and allow the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K).
Used strategically, fats improve productive efficiency, metabolic health and profitability.
Saturated fatty acids (such as palmitic acid, C16:0) are more stable and allow energy to be directed towards specific productive objectives, such as milk fat synthesis.
Unsaturated ones (oleic, linoleic, linolenic) are more reactive and play a key role in digestibility, reproduction and immunity.
The proper combination of both defines nutritional success.
Precision nutrition in lipids consists of selecting the exact fatty acid profile according to productive needs:
energy, reproduction, intestinal health or final product quality.
Not all fats work the same; each fatty acid has a specific metabolic function that can be activated with the right technology.
Bypass fats are rumen-inert lipids that are efficiently absorbed in the intestine. In dairy cows, they allow covering the Negative Energy Balance without affecting ruminal fermentation or fibre digestibility, maximising milk production and solids. Solutions: • Calcium soaps RUMINER® – health, digestibility and reproduction. • Hydrogenated/fractionated fats NL® – HIDROFAT® – directed energy and milk solids.
• Calcium soaps (RUMINER®): Ideal for improving body condition, ruminal health and reproduction. • Hydrogenated/fractionated fats (NL®, HIDROFAT®): Recommended when the goal is to maximise milk production and solids through specific profiles such as C16:0. Expert strategy: Combine both technologies to maximise efficiency and profitability.
• Piglets: Medium-Chain Fatty Acids (MCFA – LIPIBIOTIC®), highly digestible and with bactericidal effect. • Hyper-prolific sows: Omega 3 and 6 (RUMINER ω3 / ω6) to increase energy density and improve litter weight. • Poultry: Technical fats to increase metabolizable energy, improve feed granulation and optimise growth and laying.
Specific fatty acids act directly on hormonal metabolism: • Oleic (ω9): Improves digestibility and embryonic development. • Linoleic (ω6): Favours calving. • Linolenic (ω3): Improves embryonic survival and maintenance of pregnancy. The result is better reproductive efficiency and less loss of body condition.
Yes. Our technical team helps you select the fatty acid profile and most suitable technology for each species, productive phase and objective, guaranteeing precision nutrition, maximum efficiency and greater profitability.