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Nutritional additives · pigs, poultry, ruminants
SQM
Brand SQM · Manufacturer Quali Tech (USA); distributed in Europe by Actifeed
↗ public sourceswww.actifeed.com/sqm.html· 4 studies, 3 independent/mixed
Evidence · moderate
The active substance is backed by 4 studies including meta-analyses; the verdict per claim below reflects what the literature actually shows, not the brochure. Strength reflects the active substance, not the brand.
What the manufacturer claims
Free
Captured from the product page, typed and attributed — the producer’s own statements, checked against the literature below.
Bioavailability
Protected from physical/chemical interaction and fully available for direct absorption in the small intestine, giving maximum mineral activity (high bioavailability)
Stability
Stable in acid medium, with exclusive ruminal behaviour and 100% inclusion rate
Environmental
Reduces metallic pollution of soils (lower mineral excretion)
Manufacturer’s own words — not independently verified. The ledger below gives the evidence verdict for each.
Claim ↔ evidence ledger
Verdict free · receipts in Power
Each claim against the studies on the active substance, with the funding split. Open a row for the studies behind the verdict.
Claim
Verdict
Evidence & funding
BioavailabilityProtected from physical/chemical interaction and fully available for direct absorpti…
Supported
2 studies · 100% indep
›
Read Higher bioavailability of organic vs inorganic trace minerals is well supported in pigs and poultry (class-level).
2025
Availability of zinc, copper, iron, manganese and selenium in feed ingredients and sources in pigsOrganic Zn/Cu/Se had higher bioavailability and lower faecal excretion than inorganic forms
A study on the effects of chelated vs inorganic trace elements on growth performance, survival and carcass yield in broilersOrganic forms improved body weight, feed efficiency and mineral retention with reduced excretion vs inorganic salts
StabilityStable in acid medium, with exclusive ruminal behaviour and 100% inclusion rate
Not addressed
no study
›
Acid stability is consistent with the chelation mechanism, but exclusive ruminal behaviour and 100% inclusion were not tested by the captured studies.
EnvironmentalReduces metallic pollution of soils (lower mineral excretion)
Supported
2 studies · 50% indep
›
Read Reduced mineral excretion is supported, including by a meta-analysis (funding unconfirmed) and independent RCTs.
2025
The effect of chelated trace mineral supplementation in the form of proteinates on broiler performance and mineral excretion: a meta-analysisReplacing inorganics with proteinates (incl. at 50-80% levels) maintained performance and lowered Cu/Fe/Mn/Zn excretion; LCA showed lower carbon footprint
Effects of methionine-hydroxy-analogue chelated Zn, Cu and Mn on growth, digestibility, mineral excretion and welfare of broilers (Parts 1 and 2)Chelated minerals at lower inclusion maintained performance and digestibility while lowering excreta mineral content and shed air-gas levels
Bottom line. Independent evidence in pigs and poultry consistently shows organic/chelated trace minerals are more bioavailable and less excreted than inorganic (sulphate/oxide) forms — supporting SQM's core claims at the class level.
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Evidence — on the active substance
Table free · full-text in Power
Why these studies The evidence for a proprietary product is the evidence for its active substance. These are the studies (meta-analyses first) behind the verdicts above, with funding labelled.
Year
Study & effect size
Funding
Type
Access
2025
The effect of chelated trace mineral supplementation in the form of proteinates on broiler performance and mineral excretion: a meta-analysisReplacing inorganics with proteinates (incl. at 50-80% levels) maintained performance and lowered Cu/Fe/Mn/Zn excretion; LCA showed lower carbon footprint
Availability of zinc, copper, iron, manganese and selenium in feed ingredients and sources in pigsOrganic Zn/Cu/Se had higher bioavailability and lower faecal excretion than inorganic forms
Effects of methionine-hydroxy-analogue chelated Zn, Cu and Mn on growth, digestibility, mineral excretion and welfare of broilers (Parts 1 and 2)Chelated minerals at lower inclusion maintained performance and digestibility while lowering excreta mineral content and shed air-gas levels
A study on the effects of chelated vs inorganic trace elements on growth performance, survival and carcass yield in broilersOrganic forms improved body weight, feed efficiency and mineral retention with reduced excretion vs inorganic salts
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Analysis & tools
◆ Power
The working map a maker won’t give you — built only from the evidence on this page. Nothing here is marketing.
◆ Power view
Open the analyst workbench
Dose benchmark, the independent-vs-sponsored split, the pooled meta-analysis effects, the contradictions and the gaps — all derived from the studies above.
Dose: label vs effective trial range vs EU max
Independence-of-evidence breakdown
Pooled meta-analysis effect sizes
Compare · CSV / JSON · API
Dose benchmark
Label / recommendedNot numerically stated
Effective in trialsOrganic forms effective at ~50-80% of inorganic levels
EU maximumPer-element maxima (e.g. Zn 120, Mn 150, Fe 750 mg/kg piglets; Cu species/age-dependent)
Trace elements are dosed to requirement, not as a single product rate.
mineral excretion / performance parity (broilers) Funding undisclosedperformance maintained at reduced levels; Cu/Fe/Mn/Zn excretion lowered
Pooled estimates from the systematic reviews/meta-analyses above — the closest thing to a settled answer.
Discussion — grounded in the evidence
Independent evidence in pigs and poultry consistently shows organic/chelated trace minerals are more bioavailable and less excreted than inorganic (sulphate/oxide) forms — supporting SQM's core claims at the class level.
A meta-analysis and RCTs show performance can be maintained or improved at reduced inclusion levels while cutting mineral excretion, supporting the environmental claim.
The acid-stability claim fits the chelation mechanism, but the 'exclusive ruminal behaviour' and '100% inclusion' claims were not independently tested.
Crucially, the evidence is for the organic-trace-mineral class, not for the specific polysaccharide-complex (Quali Tech) form, whose superiority over other organic forms is not independently established.
EU authorisation is per specific compound with per-element maxima — the exact SQM form should be matched to an authorised entry.
Where studies disagree: Independent data support reduced excretion and parity/benefit at lower inclusion, but do not establish the specific 'maximum mineral activity' or 'exclusive ruminal behaviour' superiority for the polysaccharide-complex form over other organic forms.
Gaps: Evidence is for organic trace minerals as a class (proteinates, amino-acid/MHA chelates), not for Quali Tech's polysaccharide-complex SQM specifically. Ruminal behaviour and the 100%-inclusion claim are untested in the captured studies. No resolvable patent identified.
Manufacturer’s stated mechanism (their words): Trace elements bound within a polysaccharide matrix are protected from chemical interactions (phytate, fibre, antagonist minerals) and low pH in the gut, so they are absorbed more efficiently in the small intestine, raising bioavailability and lowering faecal excretion.
Compare & export
Put this beside alternatives on the same active substance (e.g. HMBi / other rumen-protected methionine), and take the data with you.
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