Canola seed air classification process.

Unlock Canola's Potential: How Air Classification Can Boost Nutrition for Your Pigs

Kai Mendoza in Tech & Innovation August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover how fractionating canola meal can enhance digestibility and improve feed efficiency for swine farmers."

For swine farmers, optimizing feed efficiency and reducing costs are critical to maintaining profitability. Canola meal (CM), a common protein source in animal feed, has limitations due to its high fiber content. This fiber reduces the digestibility of essential nutrients, making it less efficient compared to other protein sources like soybean meal.

However, innovative techniques are emerging to enhance the nutritional value of canola meal. One such method is air classification, a process that separates canola meal into fractions based on particle size and density. This separation creates a low-fiber, light-particle fraction and a high-fiber, heavy-particle fraction, each with distinct nutritional profiles.

This article explores how air classification can improve the digestibility and energy content of canola meal for pigs, offering potential benefits for swine farmers looking to optimize their feed strategies and reduce costs.

What is Air Classification and How Does It Work?

Air classification is a dry fractionation process that uses air streams to separate components of canola meal based on their size and density. The process leverages the natural composition of canola seeds, which include the hull and cotyledons.

During processing, the seed is first expeller-pressed to remove oil, and then solvent-extracted to yield canola meal. This meal contains both the outer hull (seed coat) and the inner cotyledons, each contributing differently to the nutritional profile. Grinding the meal partially breaks the adherence between these components.

Grinding: Reduces particle size to liberate seed components.
Airflow Separation: Uses air currents to lift lighter particles (cotyledons) while heavier particles (hull) fall.
Fraction Collection: Separates and collects the low-fiber, light-particle fraction and high-fiber, heavy-particle fraction.

The result is two distinct fractions: a light-particle fraction with reduced fiber and concentrated nutrients, and a heavy-particle fraction with increased fiber content. By understanding and utilizing these fractions, swine farmers can tailor their feed formulations to better meet the nutritional needs of their pigs.

Customizing Swine Diets for Optimal Results

Air classification offers a practical solution for swine farmers looking to enhance the nutritional value of canola meal. By separating the meal into distinct fractions, farmers can create customized diets that optimize feed efficiency and support healthy growth in pigs. This innovative approach not only improves animal health but also contributes to more sustainable and cost-effective farming practices.

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Everything You Need To Know

What is air classification, and why is it used in processing canola meal for swine feed?

Air classification is a method used to separate canola meal into different parts based on the size and density of the particles. This process uses air streams to separate the components, creating a low-fiber, light-particle fraction and a high-fiber, heavy-particle fraction. This is important because it allows swine farmers to customize diets to better meet the nutritional needs of their pigs, improving feed efficiency and reducing costs. By understanding the nutritional profile of each fraction, swine farmers can tailor their feed formulations to support optimal growth and health in pigs.

Can you explain the specific steps involved in the air classification process?

The process of air classification involves grinding the canola meal to reduce particle size, using airflow to separate lighter particles (cotyledons) from heavier ones (hull), and then collecting these distinct fractions. The light-particle fraction is low in fiber and nutrient-rich, while the heavy-particle fraction has increased fiber content. This separation is significant because it concentrates the valuable nutrients into one fraction while isolating the fiber-rich components. This allows swine farmers to utilize the fractions in different proportions in the feed to optimize the nutrition and reduce waste.

What are the limitations of using standard canola meal in swine diets, and how does air classification address these issues?

Canola meal is commonly used as a protein source in animal feed; however, its high fiber content can limit the digestibility of essential nutrients, making it less efficient compared to other protein sources. Air classification addresses this limitation by separating canola meal into fractions with varying fiber levels. This enhances the nutritional value of canola meal, improving feed efficiency and supporting better growth in pigs. Using air classification helps reduce reliance on other protein sources and improves the overall sustainability of feed strategies.

How can swine farmers use air classification to customize swine diets and achieve better results?

Swine diets can be customized for optimal results by using air classification to separate canola meal into distinct fractions, which allows swine farmers to create diets that optimize feed efficiency and support healthy growth in pigs. The low-fiber, nutrient-rich fraction can be used to enhance digestibility, while the high-fiber fraction can be included in smaller amounts or used for other purposes. This approach can lead to more sustainable and cost-effective farming practices, improving animal health and reducing feed costs. The ability to fine-tune the nutrient content of swine diets can positively impact overall farm productivity.

In what ways does air classification contribute to more sustainable and cost-effective swine farming practices?

Air classification contributes to more sustainable and cost-effective farming practices by enhancing the nutritional value of canola meal and reducing the need for other, potentially more expensive, protein sources. It also minimizes waste by allowing swine farmers to utilize different fractions of canola meal in customized diets. By improving feed efficiency, swine farmers can reduce the amount of feed required to achieve optimal growth in pigs. This leads to lower feed costs and a more environmentally friendly approach to swine farming.