US-headed flavor, fragrance, ingredient and bioscience solutions major International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., (IFF) has announced the launch of "OPTIMASH BOOST", a second-generation, clarified cellulase and xylanase enzyme mix, replacing the first-generation product, "OPTIMASH F200", to further increase distillers' corn oil (DCO) recovery at fuel ethanol plants.
A significant yield gap exists between the industry’s average distillers’ corn oil (DCO) recovery and its theoretical maximum.
Much of this valuable oil remains physically trapped within the fiber structures of the wet cake, a byproduct of ethanol production.
According to IFF, its “OPTIMASH BOOST” addresses this challenge directly with an upgraded blend of cellulase and xylanase enzymes that disrupt the interaction between these fibers and oil.
The new enzymes are formulated as a clarified enzyme mix, as opposed to the whole broth formulation of “OPTIMASH F200”, allowing OPTIMASH BOOST to achieve higher oil recovery at lower comparative dosages.
The launch of OPTIMASH BOOST demonstrates our commitment to rapid, customer-focused innovation. We listened to the industry’s need for greater efficiency in DCO recovery and developed a second-generation enzyme that delivers on that necessity. We’re always improving our offerings and providing our partners with practical tools to unlock the full value of every bushel, said Dawn Overby, North America Marketing Director, Grain Processing at IFF.
Validated in ethanol plant trials
According to IFF, the efficacy of OPTIMASH BOOST has been validated in ethanol plant trials.
In a direct head-to-head comparison, the new enzyme increased corn oil yield by 11 percent over its first-generation predecessor and by 23 percent over the plant’s baseline — lifting yield from 0.95 to 1.17 pounds per bushel.
Additional data confirm that this higher yield is a result of decreasing the wet cake fat content, while simultaneously improving dewatering of the cake, reducing energy consumption at the plant dryers, and reducing the plant’s carbon intensity.
This performance has been observed in other commercial facilities, with some seeing yield increases of up to 30 percent.
