What is choline chloride 60%?
Choline chloride 60% is made by spraying a concentrated choline chloride solution onto a carrier and drying it to a free-flowing powder that declares 60% choline chloride. It is the grade most nutritionists mean when they write "choline chloride" in a dry-feed formula without further detail.
For the biological role of choline in poultry, pigs, ruminants and fish, see our general choline chloride page. Here we focus on the 60% grade: what it contains, how it is used at the mill and how it compares with the 50% powder and the 70% liquid.
Corn cob or silica carrier?
The active substance is the same, but the carrier changes how the product behaves. Ask the supplier which carrier is used and compare like with like.
- Corn cob (vegetable) carrier: widely available and economical; a coarser, fibrous particle; its quality depends on the cob material being clean and dry.
- Silica carrier: mineral, usually finer and lighter, often flows better and is frequently preferred for premixes and long storage.
- Bulk density and particle size differ between carriers, so a volumetric dosing device calibrated for one product should be rechecked when switching.
- Dust and electrostatic behaviour can also differ; check them during the first production runs.
Where the 60% grade fits in the feed mill
Because choline is needed in gram rather than milligram amounts per kilogram of feed, 60% choline chloride is often handled as its own micro-ingredient: weighed by hand-add or by an automatic micro-dosing system and added straight to the mixer. This keeps it apart from the vitamin premix, where its hygroscopic nature could accelerate losses of sensitive vitamins such as A, K₃ and some B vitamins.
Mills without liquid tanks use the 60% powder as their main choline source. Larger mills that already spray liquids may switch to 70% or 75% liquid to avoid paying for carrier, while keeping the 60% powder for special or small batches.
How the 60% grade compares
- Versus 50% powder: more active substance per kilogram and less carrier to buy and store; the 50% grade may flow and disperse more easily inside premixes.
- Versus 70% or 75% liquid: no tank, pump or spray system needed and simpler for smaller mills; liquid avoids carrier cost and dust but needs dosing equipment and temperature management.
- Versus rumen-protected choline: 60% choline chloride is largely degraded in the rumen, so for dairy cows protected products are used instead.
Dose conversion example
Convert between grades on a choline chloride basis. Replacing 1.0 kg of choline chloride 60% per tonne with 70% liquid requires 1.0 × 60 ÷ 70 ≈ 0.86 kg of liquid; with 75% liquid, 1.0 × 60 ÷ 75 = 0.80 kg. Replacing it with the 50% powder needs 1.0 × 60 ÷ 50 = 1.2 kg.
When the switch removes or adds carrier, rebalance the formula. If you work in choline rather than choline chloride, remember that 1.0 kg of the 60% grade supplies about 0.52 kg of choline as choline base, or about 0.45 kg as choline cation, and use the same basis as your nutrient tables.
Quality specification
- Choline chloride assay against the declared 60%, with the choline basis stated.
- Loss on drying or moisture: high values increase caking risk and dilute the product.
- Carrier identity and particle size or sieve profile.
- Trimethylamine (TMA): a strong fishy odour suggests residual TMA or degradation.
- Heavy metals, lot number, production and expiry dates, and a certificate of analysis (CoA) for every lot.
- Packaging: multi-layer or PE-lined bags; store dry and cool, use opened bags quickly.
CTF Premix and choline chloride 60%
Choline chloride 60% can be included in CTF Premix's vitamin-mineral or custom premixes according to the customer's formulation, or the premix can be designed so that choline is added separately at the mill; our technical team evaluates which approach best protects vitamin stability. Premixes are produced at our Ankara facility under ISO 9001:2015 and GMP, each lot has a certificate of analysis, and lots can be checked through the batch verification page on our website.
This page is for general information. Inclusion rates and product choice should be decided with a nutritionist, taking into account the species, the feed formulation and the applicable regulations.