Nutrients

Ammonium Propionate is mainly used as a food preservative and as a feed and corn preservative for animal feed. It is a non-corrosive derivative of propionic acid and has only a slight specific odor and is therefore safer and easier to handle. Corrosion of silos and equipment is an electrochemical oxidation process that can occur on any metal, water being essential to start corrosion. Ammonium propionate is essentially non-corrosive with a pH value of 6.8. This is achieved through buffering with ammonia and the inclusion of propylene glycol. The importance of propylene glycol to the non-corrosive nature of ammonium propionate can be easily seen by comparing corrosion of mild steel at 49°C and 80% relative humidity by ammonium propionate and a similar liquid mold inhibitor without propylene glycol.

Fungal growth and potential mycotoxin formation during grain storage are also of great concern, especially for feed mills operating in tropical regions, as the chance of mold growth and mycotoxin formation is very high due to the conditions hot and humid climates.