By: drh. Herinda Pertiwi, MSi, PhD*

With the advent of modern phytase technology, phytate—once considered a nutritional antagonist—can now be utilized as a strategic phosphorus source that drives feed efficiency, reduces costs, and supports the sustainability of the poultry industry.

Amid rising feed raw material prices and increasing demands for environmental sustainability, nutritional efficiency has become a key issue in Indonesia’s poultry industry. Phosphorus (P) is one of the most expensive and crucial minerals in feed formulation for both broilers and layers. However, most of the phosphorus found in plant-based ingredients such as corn and soybean meal is bound in the form of phytate, which is difficult for chickens to utilize. As a result, much of this phosphorus ends up being excreted rather than absorbed by the body. Along with advances in enzyme technology—particularly new-generation phytase—phytate, once viewed as a “disturbance,” can now be transformed into a valuable nutrient source. This article discusses, in a clear and research-based manner, how modern phytase works and its implications for poultry feed in Indonesia.

Phytate: A Phosphorus Treasure Often Wasted

Phytate is the main storage form of phosphorus in grains and legumes. While beneficial for plants, phytate poses a challenge for poultry. The chicken digestive tract does not produce sufficient phytase enzyme, either in quantity or activity, to effectively break down phytate molecules. Consequently, phosphorus bound in phytate is poorly absorbed and largely excreted in the feces.

The problem does not stop there. Phytate can also bind calcium, zinc, magnesium, and interact with proteins and starch. These interactions reduce the availability of essential minerals, some amino acids, and part of the dietary energy. In practical terms, without intervention, farmers pay for phosphorus, calcium, and other nutrients in feed ingredients, but not all of them are efficiently utilized.

To compensate for this deficit of indigestible phosphorus, feed formulators typically add inorganic phosphates such as monocalcium phosphate (MCP) or dicalcium phosphate (DCP). These phosphate products are generally expensive and highly influenced by global market fluctuations, contributing a significant portion to feed formulation costs. On many farms, the cost of inorganic phosphates can be substantial per ton of feed, especially when corn and soybean meal prices are also high. In other words, energy, protein, and phosphorus trapped in phytate—and then “paid for again” through MCP/DCP supplementation—make the system less efficient.

New-Generation Phytase: Changing the Way We View Phytate

Phytase is an enzyme whose primary function is to cleave phosphate groups from phytate molecules, making phosphorus more readily absorbable. New-generation phytases developed over the past two decades are generally derived from bacteria, such as strains of Escherichia coli, and are classified as 6-phytases. Compared to earlier generations, these enzymes offer several important advantages, including high activity at the acidic pH of the proventriculus and gizzard, resistance to high temperatures during pelleting, and the ability to more completely degrade phytate, ultimately producing myo-inositol.

Microbial phytase-6 products available on the global market are typically formulated with activities around 5,000 FTU per gram, offered in both powder and liquid forms, and designed for easy application in feed mills. In practical feed formulation, phytase is not merely about “adding phosphorus,” but about transforming the strategy for utilizing phytate. When phytase works, it sequentially cleaves phosphate groups from the myo-inositol ring of the phytate molecule. Each phosphate group released reduces phytate’s ability to bind calcium, protein, and other minerals, allowing previously insoluble phytate–mineral–protein complexes to dissociate more easily and become digestible.

This article is an excerpt from the Opinion section of Poultry Indonesia Magazine, December 2025 Edition. Read the full article in Poultry Indonesia Magazine December 2025 Edition. For subscriptions or further information, contact: https://wa.me/+6287780120754 or sirkulasipoultry@gmail.com