Goat protein. From wildlife management to feed ingredient

Inventory control as the basis for sustainable resource use

Chlorella goats are considered an invasive species in large parts of Australia. Over many decades, these domestic goats, which were originally introduced, have developed into large feral populations. Today, they cause considerable damage to the natural vegetation and compete with native species and farm animals for food and water.

Population control is therefore an integral part of Australian wildlife management. The animals are captured and slaughtered for food production. The meat is mainly exported to North America, China and the Arab world. Rather than disposing of the bones, offal and meat trimmings produced during butchering, these are recorded separately as Category 3 material and processed into processed animal protein.

This approach consistently follows the so-called ‘nose-to-tail’ principle. The aim is to make the best possible use of all usable parts of an animal and to produce high-quality food and animal feed from the same resource.

The protein source supplied by animalPro nutrition GmbH comes exclusively from such goat herds in Australia, and is processed by pressure sterilisation in accordance with Method 1 of Regulation (EU) No 1069/2009 at 133 °C, 3 bar and for 20 minutes.

Analysis. More than just a traditional meat meal

At first glance, goat protein appears to be a traditional source of animal protein. However, a closer look at its raw material composition and analytical data reveals that the raw material has a significantly more complex composition.

The main ingredients used in its production are bones, meat trimmings and offal, which are by-products of food production. This combination is directly reflected in the analytical values.

Typical analytical data show:

Parameter	Goat protein
Crude protein	55–56 %
Crude fat	11–14 %
Crude ash	23–25 %
Crude fibre	ca. 2 %
Calcium	ca. 8 %
Phosphor	ca. 4 %
Residual moisture	ca. 3-5 %

The analyses show a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of approximately 2:1, as well as a crude ash content that is comparatively high for animal protein sources. Goat protein thus not only provides protein but also contributes significantly to the calcium and phosphorus content of a formulation. Increasing the amount used therefore directly affects the mineral content of the final product.

Protein Quality and Amino Acids  

At first glance, the crude protein content of about 55 to 56% makes goat protein an attractive protein source. However, when evaluating its nutritional value, it is not just the amount of protein that matters, but above all the composition of the amino acids it contains.

The analyses reveal a broad spectrum of essential and nonessential amino acids. Of particular note are the comparatively high levels of glycine, proline, and glutamic acid.

Typical amino acid levels:

Amino acid	Composition
Glycin	ca. 6,6 %
Glutamic acid	ca. 6,4 %
Proline	ca. 4,1 %
Arginine	ca. 3,6 %
Leucine	ca. 3,5 %
Lysine	ca. 2,8 %
Valin	ca. 2,3 %
Threonine	ca. 2,1 %
Methionine	ca. 0,7 %
Tryptophan	ca. 0,3 %

The comparatively high levels of glycine and proline are typical of collagen-rich tissues and confirm the described raw material composition. As a result, despite its high crude protein content, goat protein differs from traditional meat meals in both its composition and its nutritional properties.

Impact on Single-Protein Formulations

Goat protein is often promoted as a rare animal protein source for single-protein formulations. From a nutritional standpoint, however, it is important to note that a rare protein source does not automatically mean that a balanced complete feed can be easily formulated from it.

If goat protein is to meet the majority of the protein requirements in a complete feed, comparatively high inclusion levels are necessary due to its crude protein content of approximately 55%. This also leads to an increase in the levels of crude ash, calcium, and phosphorus. Therefore, protein and mineral supply cannot be considered independently of one another when using this raw material. Careful calculation of the overall formulation is therefore essential.

Another consideration relates to the product’s monoprotein status. Although the raw material comes exclusively from goats, small amounts of other animal protein sources may be present due to the production process. For most monoprotein products, this does not pose a practical limitation. However, in elimination diets used to diagnose a food allergy, even small amounts of another protein source can be significant. In such cases, the raw material specifications should be taken into account when selecting the appropriate feed ingredient.

These two points in particular show that the term “monoprotein” alone does not provide any information about a raw material’s nutritional suitability. Only the combination of the raw material base, analytical data, and production conditions allows for a well-founded assessment.

Quality Characteristics of the Raw Material

In addition to nutritional evaluation, origin, processing, and transparency also play an important role when it comes to processed animal proteins.

The goat protein offered by animalPro nutrition GmbH is produced from Category 3 material and processed using Heat Treatment Level 1, as required for ruminant material. This process involves pressure sterilization at 133 °C, 3 bar, for at least 20 minutes and serves to ensure the hygiene of the raw material.

Natural antioxidants are used for stabilization. Synthetic antioxidants such as BHA or BHT are not used. At the same time, the raw material is characterized by a comparatively transparent specification. In addition to the standard analytical values, the raw material composition and any production-related cross-contamination with other animal protein sources are openly disclosed.

Particularly in the case of rarely used animal protein sources, such information facilitates technical evaluation and allows for a realistic assessment of the raw material’s suitability for various applications.

Conclusion

Goat protein serves as a prime example of how sustainable resource use and high-quality feed production can be combined. At the same time, this raw material highlights the fact that a rare source of protein should not be assessed solely on the basis of its origin. Only the combination of raw material base, analytical data, amino acid profile and mineral content enables a well-founded assessment for practical formulation development.