Select Sires’ Teat Dip Options Offer Solutions For more than 30 years, Ecolab’s 4XLA® and UDDERgold® 5-Star product lines have set the standard for teat dip performance around the world. The first acidified sodium chlorite (ASC) products introduced to the market, they have set the bar for germicidal efficacy, teat condition, barrier protection - and farmers have recognized the time-tested value of these products. There are a variety of reasons for the products’ on-going success and in fact, 4XLA and Aztec Gold™ are being used at an all-time high. • Powerful germicidal activity, driven by proprietary ASC technology • Unique combination of skin conditioning ingredients and lactic acid reduces hyperkeratosis • Effective against today’s mastitis pathogens, like Mycoplasma bovis and Prototheca • Efficient 15-second kill As the dairy industry trends toward more recycled bedding materials that create mastitis challenges, 4XLA, Aztec Gold and UDDERgold 5-Star provide superior germicidal performance driven by their proprietary ASC formulations. Formulation matters While there are now a number of competitive products on the market, these offerings struggle to match the performance of Ecolab’s products. The reason, says Ecolab Senior Chemist Dr. Joe Morelli, is that formulation matters. “You cannot look for a specific active ingredient or active ingredient level and expect the germicidal performance to be the same,” explains Morelli. “We’ve verified this time and again.” The lesson is that even if active ingredients look similar on the label, there is complicated interaction between actives and other
ingredients that simply make some products more effective than others. Industry market forces are turning dairy producers on to 4XLA, UDDERgold 5-Star and Aztec Gold. Over the last two years, the use of nonyl-phenol ethoxylates (NPE) in teat dips has become scrutinized. NPE is a common component in some teat dip formulations used to keep other ingredients in suspension and stable throughout a product’s shelf life. Particularly common in iodine-based products, some milk buyers and dairy product
manufacturers have worked to eliminate NPE from their incoming milk supply, due to concerns about the environmental and health implications of NPE use. Fortunately, 4XLA, UDDERgold 5-Star and Aztec Gold do not (and never have had) NPE as part of their formulation. As many teat dip manufacturers work to reformulate iodine-based products or introduce other NPE-free options, users of Select Sires’ ASC lineup can rest assured that they are using products that have always been NPE-free. “The NPE residue concern is real,” says Morelli. “Traditional iodine teat dips require significant levels to enable shelf stable formulations which puts them in an inherent residue risk disadvantage.” Another market development of note is the vote in April of 2015 by the National Organic Standards Board to recommend ASC for
approval as a teat dip germicide. While addition of ASC to the national list of products approved for use on organic farms is pending, many organic producers have turned to 4XLA and Aztec Gold to help them manage mastitis and milk quality. However, UDDERgold 5-Star is unlikely to receive organic approval, as it contains an unapproved synthetic ingredient. Mastitis control remains one of the great challenges of modern dairy farming. It is particularly important for farmers to keep cows out of the hospital pen now, as the industry experiences a downturn in milk prices. The tools offered by Select Sires to help keep mastitis in check, UDDERgold 5-Star, 4XLA, Aztec Gold and EfferCept™, are considered best-in-class technology, free of NPE, and pending organic acceptance. Use them with confidence!
Teat dips available from Select Sires are formulated to control mastitis and are NPE-free.
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