Phytase procurement: buying on cost per million FTU, not price per kilogram.
Phytase is the highest-value enzyme line in most rations and the one most often bought badly. Two products at the same USD/kg can differ threefold in delivered cost per unit of activity once assay method, thermostability through conditioning and the matrix value you actually claim in the formulation are taken into account. This guide sets out a quotable specification, the drivers that move phytase pricing, the realistic alternatives, and the RFQ fields that get comparable offers back within about 48 hours.
- FTU activity & declared assay method
- Thermostability at your conditioning temperature
- Cost per million FTU delivered
- Coated, granulated or liquid post-pellet
Visual scope of phytase procurement
What you are actually buying
A phytase offer is a declared enzyme activity in phytase units (FTU) per gram of product, produced by a specific expression organism and protein source (6-phytase or 3-phytase, bacterial or fungal origin), on a carrier, in a defined physical form. The activity number is only meaningful alongside the analytical method used to obtain it — different methods run at different pH and substrate conditions and are not interchangeable. Insist that the offer names both the guaranteed minimum FTU/g and the assay method, and that the certificate of analysis for each batch uses that same method.
Thermostability is a purchasing spec, not a marketing claim
Enzyme lost in the conditioner is enzyme you paid for and never fed. Ask every bidder for recovery data at your actual conditioning temperature and retention time — 80°C, 85°C and 90°C for 30 to 60 seconds are the useful reference points — and for the protection technology used (intrinsic thermostability, coating, or post-pellet liquid application). If you apply post-pellet, the specification changes completely: you are then buying a liquid concentrate plus a dosing and spraying system, and the comparison must include application equipment, accuracy and hygiene.
Matrix value drives the real economics
The reason to buy phytase is the nutrient matrix you can claim: released phosphorus, calcium, energy and amino acids at a given inclusion. A supplier that supports a larger matrix at the same inclusion is worth more per FTU, but only if the matrix is documented by trials in a species and diet type resembling yours and your nutritionist is willing to formulate against it. Compare offers by running each supplier's matrix through your own least-cost formulation and reading the resulting ration cost — that number, not the invoice price, is the decision.
Certification, registration and supply security
Baseline documentation is FAMI-QS for the specialty additive supply chain, GMP+ or FSSC 22000 for manufacturing, and a valid registration for your destination market — an EU authorisation number under Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 for EU delivery, or the equivalent national register elsewhere. Enzyme fermentation capacity is concentrated in a small number of plants, so keep two qualified sources approved and trial the alternate at commercial volume at least annually.
Phytase enzyme specification table
Copy these lines straight into your RFQ — an offer missing any of them is not comparable.
| Parameter | Typical requirement | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Declared activity | 5,000–10,000+ FTU/g (granulate); liquid concentrates higher | Base of every cost-per-FTU calculation |
| Assay method | Named method stated on offer and on every CoA | Activities from different methods are not comparable |
| Enzyme type / origin | 6-phytase, bacterial or fungal expression | Determines pH profile and matrix support |
| Thermostability | Documented recovery at 80/85/90°C, 30–60 s | Activity lost in conditioning is paid-for and unfed |
| Physical form | Coated granulate, powder, or liquid for post-pellet | Drives handling, dosing accuracy and equipment need |
| Inclusion rate | Stated in g/t to reach the target FTU/kg of feed | Converts price to ration cost |
| Nutrient matrix | Released P, Ca, energy and amino acids at the target dose | The actual source of savings in least-cost formulation |
| Shelf life & storage | 12–24 months, cool and dry, sealed | Activity decays with heat and humidity in storage |
| Certification | FAMI-QS + GMP+/FSSC 22000; market registration number | Import clearance and customer audits |
| Packaging | 20–25 kg bags, palletised and shrink-wrapped | Affects freight cost and warehouse handling |
What drives the price
- Fermentation capacity and plant outagesEnzyme production is concentrated; a single outage tightens supply and lifts quotes quickly
- Declared activity per gramHigher concentration cuts freight, packaging and dosing volume per million FTU
- Coating and protection technologyThermostable and coated forms carry a premium that pays back only above a conditioning-temperature threshold
- Energy and utility costs at the fermentation siteFeeds directly into base cost, especially for European production
- Order volume and contract lengthContainer-scale and 3–6 month forward contracts price materially below spot drum quantities
- Registration and market accessProducts already registered in your market avoid a dossier delay that is often costed into the offer
- Freight, duty and payment termsLanded cost and the financing cost of the payment term can exceed the difference between bids
Alternatives compared
| Option | Use when | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Standard granulated phytase | Conditioning below ~80°C, mash or gently pelleted feed | Lowest unit cost, highest sensitivity to heat spikes |
| Coated / intrinsically thermostable phytase | Conditioning at 85–90°C or steam-pelleted, expanded feed | Premium per FTU, recovered through retained activity |
| Liquid phytase, post-pellet applied | High-temperature processing and a validated spray system | Best activity retention; requires equipment, dosing accuracy and hygiene control |
| Higher inorganic phosphate (DCP/MCP) instead of phytase | Phytase unavailable or phosphate exceptionally cheap | Higher ration cost in most markets, more phosphorus excretion |
| Phytase in a combination enzyme or premix | Fewer SKUs wanted, or NSP enzymes bought alongside | Simplifies dosing; hides the true unit cost of each activity |
Send these six lines and get phytase enzyme offers back in about 48 hours
- • Target FTU per kg of finished feed and tonnes of feed per month
- • Conditioning temperature and retention time; pellet or mash
- • Preferred form: granulate, powder or post-pellet liquid
- • Nutrient matrix you intend to apply, by species and diet phase
- • Destination port/mill, Incoterm and required registration market
- • Payment terms (LC, CAD, open account) and required certifications
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