Is the Choline Chloride you purchased

the Choline Chloride you received?

All choline chloride is the same on a molecular level. Yet significant differences can and do
exist among choline chloride products and manufacturing practices.

Why? The reasons vary. Some companies have Unintentional Quality Problems
poor manufacturing processes and poor overall Choline is a fairly simple molecule, yet important
quality control; others are known to cheapen considerations go into making a high-quality
their products to reduce manufacturing costs. product. Specific manufacturing considerations
In these situations, clever substitutions allow include:
adulterated products to pass established industry
tests for quality. Unfortunately, whether through • Ingredient quality – Carefully choosing the
poor production techniques or deliberate manip- right ingredients is a very important step
ulation, customers end up suffering and animal both for the production of liquid choline and
performance ends up compromised. for making dry choline from liquid. Ingredient
selection is the single most important step
for the prevention of dioxin problems with
choline.

Quality Varies
Among Choline
Chloride Samples

52 Sunrise Park Rd., New Hampton, NY 10958 • ph: 800-780-9233 • fx: 845-326-5615 • www.balchem.com • www.cholinechloride.com
• Production conditions For instance, a company might combine 35%
choline chloride with a chloride salt, such as
– The synthesis of liquid choline chloride ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) and sell the result-
needs to be carefully controlled to produce a ing product as 60% choline chloride on carrier.
finished product that is clear choline chloride, The adulterated product readily passes the per-
low in odor and stable for long durations. chloric acid test which measures chloride content,
If the synthesis is not carefully controlled, but not choline content. It tests as 61% choline
a very “fishy” smelling choline product chloride on a chloride basis. Yet, the same prod-
may result that is yellow in color and quite uct fails the cation exchange chromatography
unstable during storage. In addition, it may test. With the cation exchange chromatography
not contain the proper amount of choline test, the choline content is determined. In this
chloride. case, the test showed that the adulterated
– The drying of choline chloride to generate choline chloride contained 35% choline rather
a dry product must be carefully controlled, than the expected 60% choline.
as poor quality ingredients plus improper
drying conditions can yield issues with dioxin
formation. A poorly regulated dry choline Tests to Confirm Product Quality
production process can yield a product that Four tests are available to confirm choline
is quite variable in finished choline content. chloride content:

1. Mohr/Volhardt – measures chloride through

Deliberate Quality Problems AgNO3 titration

The deliberate adulteration of choline chloride 2. Perchloric acid – measures chloride through
products began being discovered in 2002, and HCIO4 titration
it continues today. A common test for choline
chloride content is to titrate the chloride ion. 3. Reinecke color comparison – measures choline
It has become all too common to simulate a through salt color comparison and is highly
higher choline chloride content by adding selective for choline chloride
chloride salts to a choline chloride product, 4. Ion chromatography – measures all positively
such as KCl, MgCl2, NH4Cl, etc. charged ions, including choline, but can be
influenced by the presence of some cations
in the product such as K+ and NH4+

Benchmarking Absorbance-log(1/R)
1
Choline on
Peak shift through NH4CI
Carrier Detection
of “Fraud Product” 0.8

with Near Infra-red

Spectroscopy 0.6

0.4

p NH4CI 0.2
p Product A
p Product B
p Product C 0
1400 1450 1500 1550 1600 1650 1700 1750 1800
Wavelength
2
Until recently, the industry heavily relied upon How can a purchaser be confident in their
tests which measured chloride content as a choline chloride purchases?
means to confirm a product’s choline chloride
content. These tests cost less than tests for 1. Choose a reputable company
choline, but they are susceptible to fraud
through the addition of chloride salts. 2. Ask for plant quality certifications

The two tests for choline cost more, but are 3. Be informed of differences among
harder to fraud. The Reinecke method is more quality tests
difficult. Ion chromatography detects all ions 4. Carefully choose the test(s) to confirm
and consistently reveals possible fraud. product quality
The United States National Feed Ingredients 5. Be aware that the lowest cost product may
Association (NFIA) has set the Reinecke color not offer high quality
comparison method as the standard for choline
determination in premix products. In China it
also serves as the national standard for testing
choline content in feed premixes. Due to high
variation, however, it works best for confirming With a few informed precautions,
low choline content, ppm, rather than high purchasers can avoid:
concentrations such as 50-75%.
1. Over paying for Choline Chloride

Recommendations 2. Higher feed consumption rate (FCR)

due to under delivery of Choline Chloride
The Mohr/Volhardt test is reliable and fast,
provided the product does not fraudulously 3. Neglected metabolic functions caused
contain salts such as sodium chloride and calcium by a lack of choline which can affect cell
chloride. The test measures choline and assumes structures, fat metabolism in the liver,
a 1:1 ratio between choline content and chloride and the formation of acetylcholine
content.

For further confirmation of choline chloride

content, the Reinecke salt test is often recom-
mended with ion chromatography as a final
confirmation. Both offer high levels of accuracy
and precisely identify any product adulteration.

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 Highest Industry Standards
Balchem currently sets the highest industry standards for choline chloride products.
The choline chloride content indicated on the label is the content delivered, and its plants
proudly maintain industry quality certifications.

As the industry leader, Balchem offers consistent, Minimal Moisture

high-quality choline chloride products through: The low moisture content in Balchem Choline
1. A wide product portfolio Chloride and premixes helps prevent the decom-
position of vitamins. As water migrates into
2. Total product chain control premixes, it contributes to vitamin instability,
3. Moisture content below 2.5% instability that also relates to the type of vitamin,
(0.5% is typical) temperature, light, etc. Water migration is
largely caused by the hygroscopic effect of
4. High choline chloride density choline chloride.
5. The proprietary ability to spray
Dioxin Free
choline chloride onto a carrier
In November 2001, the EU directive 2001/102/EC
6. Dust free products due to particle set the maximum allowed dioxin concentration
size distribution at 0.75 ng per kg for feed materials with
7. No caking for good free flowing properties increases to 6 ng per kg for fish oil, as expressed
in WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ.
8. Very low residual total trimethylamines-
ammonium (TMA) content. High TMA Balchem addressed dioxin concerns by demand-
content results in a fish-like odor ing that suppliers guarantee raw materials and
by randomly testing raw materials. It uses the
9. Dioxin free highest quality HCL, and Balchem also uses
10. GMO free product availability an indirect heating process to dry the choline
chloride on the carrier.
11. Minimal undesirable substances (low values)
12. Nutritional value in carrier GMO Free
No more than 0.9% GMO is allowed in human
13. Durable bags with polyethylene liner food or in animal feed in the European Union.
14. Short lead time When customers require GMO free, Balchem
assures the highest quality by using a European
15. Certifications: FAMI-Qs, HACCP, ISO 9002, carrier, requiring supplier guarantees and agree-
14001 and others ments, conducting external random tests, and
committing one manufacturing site to the pro-
duction of Balchem GMO-free Choline Chloride.
Balchem – Integrated production chain Certifications
of Choline Chloride Balchem conscientiously maintains all the
appropriate certifications and registrations.
Ammonia
Monomethylamine (MMA) Each site has a registration according to EU 95/69
Dimethylamine (DMA) legislation as noted by the number on the prod-
Trimethylamine (TMA) uct specification sheet and bags. In addition,
Methanol Customers manufacturing sites have FAMI-QS certification.
Balchem is an active member of Fefana, and
HCI TMA HCI Balchem Choline Chloride is being registered
via a Vitac subgroup.
CCoC
Purchasing agents can have complete confidence
in Balchem Choline Chloride products.
Ethyleneoxide Choline Chloride
Liquid
Minimizing risk of contamination
4
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