In the production of fermented soybean meal, fermented rapeseed meal, and other bio-feed products, the quality and activity of the microbial strain directly determine the final product quality. The strain propagation and fermentation system is the core technology of the entire production line.

Ocean's fermentation solutions systematically integrate four key stages — strain activation, propagation, inoculation, and fermentation — achieving fully automated process control.

Strain Activation: The Starting Point of Fermentation

Strains are manually added into the activation tank, where they undergo approximately 72 hours of activation under strictly controlled conditions. The system automatically manages pH value, agitation, aeration, and temperature regulation, ensuring optimal conditions for strain recovery and proliferation. After activation, the strain liquid is transferred to a metering scale for standby.

Precise Batching and Mixing

According to the fermentation formulation, the metered strain liquid and hot water — heated in the hot water tank — are proportioned with precision and thoroughly mixed in a mixer. This step determines the uniformity of strain distribution in the fermentation substrate, directly impacting subsequent fermentation performance.

Deep Fermentation: The Key to Quality Formation

The mixed strain fermentation material is transported by an automatic rail car system to the strain fermenter for approximately 12 hours of propagation fermentation. The fermenter is equipped with precise temperature, humidity, and aeration control systems, creating an ideal environment for microbial growth. For soybean meal fermentation, the material is then mixed with soybean meal for approximately 24 hours of deep fermentation, allowing beneficial microorganisms to thoroughly degrade anti-nutritional factors and produce functional metabolites such as small peptides and organic acids.

Why Is Fermentation So Critical?

Unfermented soybean meal contains multiple anti-nutritional factors — including trypsin inhibitors, antigenic proteins, and oligosaccharides — which inhibit animal growth and cause digestive stress. Through precisely controlled fermentation, these anti-nutritional factors are effectively degraded. Large-molecule proteins are broken down into easily absorbable small peptides and free amino acids, while beneficial microbial metabolites are generated, significantly enhancing the feed's nutritional value and digestibility.

Ocean provides full-chain fermentation solutions from strain propagation to finished packaging, delivering efficient, stable, and automated fermentation production lines.