BioZyme Inc. (Sure Champ)

Company Overview

BioZyme Inc. is a privately held animal nutrition company founded in 1951 by Larry Ehlert in St. Joseph, Missouri. In 1968 they purchased the patent on Aspergillus oryzae fermentation technology, which became the foundation of their entire product line under the proprietary name Amaferm® (branded as AO-Biotics® Amaferm®). Sure Champ is BioZyme’s dedicated show livestock brand — one of eight BioZyme brand lines (alongside VitaFerm, Vita Charge, DuraFerm, Gain Smart, Vitalize, Backyard Boost, and AO-Biotics). BioZyme manufactures Sure Champ directly; it is not a subsidiary. The brand has 40+ years in show livestock and 111+ published or presented research studies on Amaferm.

What Is Amaferm®?

Amaferm is BioZyme’s core proprietary prebiotic — a fermentation extract from Aspergillus oryzae (fungal strain NRRL 458). It is not a probiotic (not a live organism) — it works by stimulating existing gut bacteria and fungi to increase fiber digestion and starch degradation. Key research findings: increases daily gain by ~0.25 lbs/day, supports feed intake and digestibility under heat/travel/feed-change stress, maximizes rumen fungal growth and bacterial attachment sites. Amaferm appears in every Sure Champ product as the core active ingredient.

Sheep-Relevant Product Line

Product	Type	Primary Function
Sure Champ® Extreme (with ClariFly®)	commercial_supplement	Daily gut health, appetite, bloom, hoof/coat, heat stress + fly control
Sure Champ® Spark®	commercial_supplement	Concentrated Amaferm appetite stimulus — cleaner formula than Extreme
Sure Champ® Liquid Boost®	commercial_supplement	Liquid Amaferm + B vitamin complex for stress periods and daily intake support
Sure Champ® Climate Control Gel	commercial_supplement	Amaferm + HEAT technology gel for heat stress (temps >70°F)
Sure Champ® Joint Juice	commercial_supplement	Liquid hyaluronic acid (MHB3® HA) for joint health; 1/2 oz/day — also on Amazon (ASIN B0CWV37T7C)
Sure Champ® Clench Gel	commercial_supplement	Digestive support gel for occasional loose stool / scours; situational show kit product
Sure Champ® Appetite Plus® Gel	commercial_supplement	Fast-acting appetite/hydration rescue gel (formerly Vita Charge Gel); Amaferm + MOS + B-vitamins

Show Line Notes

All Sure Champ products are built on the Amaferm platform — the primary differentiator across the line is delivery form and secondary active ingredients. Extreme and Spark are both daily pellets; Extreme adds HEAT technology, garlic, biotin, MOS, and optionally ClariFly for fly control, while Spark is a simpler, more concentrated Amaferm formula for aggressive appetite response. Liquid Boost is the liquid equivalent for mixing into water. Climate Control Gel and Clench Gel are situational tools rather than daily supplements.

Spark vs. Extreme guidance: BioZyme publishes a comparison at surechamp.com/when-to-feed-spark-vs-extreme — worth reading before recommending one over the other.

Former Vita Charge branding: Clench Gel, Climate Control Gel, and Liquid Boost were previously sold as “Vita Charge®” products. Same formulas, rebranded to Sure Champ. Some retailers and older listings still use the Vita Charge name.

Community Notes