Overview

Rice-based distilleries often face challenges in producing visually appealing DDGS due to dark brown or blackish coloration developed during the drying process. While the nutritional quality of DDGS remains unaffected, its appearance can significantly influence market acceptance and commercial value. To address this challenge, The Catalysts Group evaluated ProColor-TS, an innovative color enhancement solution designed to improve the appearance of Rice DDGS without compromising its quality or nutritional characteristics. The commercial trial demonstrated a significant improvement in DDGS color, transforming it into an attractive golden-yellow product with enhanced market appeal.

Plant Profile

Parameter Details
Industry Grain-Based Ethanol Production
By-product Rice DDGS
Product Evaluated ProColor-TS
Application Point Fermenter (4–6 hours after retention)
Initial Dosage 50 ppm

The Challenge

  • Dark brown or blackish Rice DDGS reduced its commercial appeal and market acceptability
  • High drying temperatures, caramelization, and Maillard reactions contributed to undesirable DDGS coloration
  • The plant required a solution to improve DDGS appearance while preserving its nutritional quality
  • The objective was to enhance the commercial value of Rice DDGS without altering the existing production process

The Catalysts Solution

  • The Catalysts Group implemented ProColor-TS, a specialized color enhancement solution developed to improve the visual appearance of Rice DDGS. The product was dosed into the fermenter 4–6 hours after retention, allowing adequate mixing and uniform distribution before downstream processing 
  • Applied at an initial dosage of 50 ppm, ProColor-TS effectively improved DDGS color while maintaining its original quality, aroma, and nutritional characteristics. The dosage can be further optimized after process stabilization to maximize operational efficiency

Performance Highlights

  • Successfully transformed dark brown/blackish Rice DDGS into an attractive golden-yellow product
  • Improved the market acceptability and commercial value of Rice DDGS
  • Enhanced the calcium and phosphorus content, increasing the nutritional value of DDGS as livestock feed
  • Reduced the requirement for Dicalcium Phosphate (DCP) during feed formulation
  • Maintained the original quality and aroma of DDGS while significantly improving its visual appearance

Before vs After Performance

Before Application After Application
Rice DDGS exhibited a dark brown to blackish appearance, reducing market appeal. Rice DDGS transformed into an attractive golden-yellow product
Lower market acceptability due to darker color. Improved commercial acceptance and enhanced product value
Higher dependence on Dicalcium Phosphate (DCP) in feed formulation. Reduced DCP requirement through improved calcium and phosphorus content
Product quality remained acceptable, but appearance limited commercial potential. Original quality and aroma were preserved while significantly improving product appearance

Key Outcomes

  • Effective Long-Term Preservation: EnzyProtect PM effectively preserved press mud during extended storage, minimizing organic matter loss
  • Reduced VS Degradation: VS degradation decreased from 14.06% in the control to 1.54% at 100 ppm, reaching just 0.74% at 200 ppm
  • Maintained Organic Matter Quality: Treated heaps maintained a higher VS/TS ratio than the control after 152 days
  • Improved Microbial Control: Average TBC was reduced by approximately 72% at 100 ppm and 90% at 200 ppm versus the control
  • Best Performance at 200 ppm: The 200 ppm dosage delivered the strongest overall preservation performance, helping maintain press mud quality during extended storage

Conclusion

The commercial evaluation demonstrated that ProColor-TS is an effective solution for enhancing the appearance and market value of Rice DDGS. By transforming dark-colored DDGS into an attractive golden-yellow product while preserving its quality and nutritional characteristics, the solution enables distilleries to improve the commercial appeal of one of their key co-products

With simple integration into the existing fermentation process and the potential for dosage optimization after process stabilization, ProColor-TS offers distilleries a practical and value-driven approach to producing higher-value Rice DDGS without compromising product quality