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      1. Home
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      Tag: grain analysis

      Feed Quality Control: Essential Tests Every Feed Mill Should Run

      admin
      March 4, 2026

      Animal feed quality control is not a peripheral concern — it sits at the intersection of animal health, farm profitability, and food safety. A batch of feed with incorrect protein content wastes money; feed contaminated with mycotoxins can devastate a livestock operation. Yet many feed mills still rely on infrequent third-party testing rather than in-house analytical capability. Here is a look at the essential tests that any serious feed mill should be running regularly. Moisture Content Moisture is the entry point for all feed quality analysis. High moisture in stored raw materials and finished feeds promotes mould growth and mycotoxin development. Target moisture levels vary by ingredient — typically below 14% for cereals, below 12% for compound feeds — but the key is consistency and monitoring over time. Crude Protein Protein content determines the nutritional value and cost of any feed formulation. NIR analysers provide rapid protein estimates for incoming raw materials and finished feeds. Periodic verification against the reference Kjeldahl method is essential to maintain NIR calibration accuracy. Systematic deviations from formulation targets quickly erode margins and animal performance. Starch and Energy Content For energy-dense feeds, starch content is a key formulation parameter. NIR instruments can estimate starch alongside protein and moisture simultaneously. Accurate energy estimation reduces the risk of over- or under-supplying energy to livestock, both of which have direct economic consequences. Mycotoxin Screening Aflatoxins, deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone, and fumonisins are among the most economically and clinically significant mycotoxins affecting feed raw materials. Rapid lateral flow immunoassay strips provide field-level screening; ELISA kits offer greater sensitivity. Positive screens should always be confirmed by accredited laboratory methods before reject decisions are made. Particle Size and Pellet Quality Physical feed quality — particle size distribution and pellet durability — directly affects feed intake, digestibility, and wastage. A pellet durability index (PDI) test takes minutes and predicts how well pellets will survive handling and transport to the feed trough. Consistent physical quality is a key differentiator in the competitive compound feed market. Fuhler Labor supplies verified pre-owned feed quality control instruments including NIR analysers, moisture meters, and laboratory balances — allowing feed mills to build robust in-house analytical capability without prohibitive capital expenditure.

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      Why Sample Preparation Is the Most Overlooked Step in Grain Analysis

      admin
      March 4, 2026

      Laboratories invest heavily in state-of-the-art analysers — and rightly so. But the quality of any analytical result is fundamentally limited by the quality of the sample presented to that analyser. In grain and flour quality control, sample preparation is the most underinvested and underappreciated part of the testing process. The Milling Step: Why It Matters Most flour laboratory tests — Falling Number, Gluten Index, Alveograph, Farinograph — are performed on flour milled from whole wheat. The laboratory mill used for this purpose has a direct influence on results. Particle size distribution, damaged starch levels, and even temperature during milling all affect the performance of the resulting flour in subsequent tests. Standard laboratory mills for grain analysis include the Brabender Quadrumat Junior, the Bühler MLU-202, and the Perten LM 3100. Each produces a slightly different flour fraction. Comparing results between laboratories using different mills requires careful harmonisation. Dividing the Sample Representatively Before milling, a bulk grain sample must be reduced to a laboratory sub-sample without introducing bias. Hand scooping from the top of a bag is not acceptable — it will almost always over-represent lighter, lower-quality grain that has risen to the surface. A rotary sample divider or riffle box divides the sample randomly and representatively, regardless of grain heterogeneity. Conditioning Before Milling Tempering grain to a standard moisture level before milling is critical for reproducible flour yield and particle size. Most standard methods specify tempering to 15.5% moisture for one hour before milling. Skipping this step, or rushing it, introduces both between-run and between-laboratory variability that cannot be corrected downstream. Cleaning and Cross-Contamination Laboratory mills must be thoroughly cleaned between samples. Residual flour from a high-protein wheat sample will inflate the protein reading of the next soft wheat sample run through the same mill. Clean the mill with a small cleaning sample (which is discarded) between each production sample. Fuhler Labor offers pre-owned laboratory mills and sample preparation equipment from leading manufacturers, all verified to be in working order prior to listing.

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      A Guide to Moisture Measurement in Grain and Cereal Products

      admin
      March 4, 2026

      Moisture content is arguably the single most important quality parameter in the storage and trade of grain and cereal products. Too high, and grain becomes vulnerable to mould growth, mycotoxin development, and heat damage during storage. Too low, and the seller loses weight — and therefore revenue — on every tonne traded. Precise moisture measurement is not optional; it is a commercial and food safety necessity. Reference Method: Oven Drying The internationally recognised reference method for grain moisture measurement is oven drying (ISO 712 / ICC 110). A weighed sample is dried at 130°C for two hours. The weight loss expressed as a percentage of the original weight gives the moisture content. While highly accurate, the method is slow — making it unsuitable for rapid intake decisions at a grain elevator receiving hundreds of loads per day. Rapid Methods: Capacitance and Resistance Meters Dielectric (capacitance-based) moisture meters — such as the Dickey-John GAC series — measure moisture by passing an electrical field through the grain sample and correlating its dielectric properties with moisture content. Results in under a minute make these instruments ideal for rapid intake screening. They require regular calibration against the reference oven drying method for each grain type. NIR for Moisture Near-Infrared analysers can also provide rapid moisture readings alongside protein and other parameters, though they are typically less precise than dedicated dielectric meters for on-the-spot intake decisions. NIR moisture measurement excels in controlled milling and processing environments where speed and multi-parameter output are both valuable. Temperature Compensation A frequently overlooked factor in moisture measurement accuracy is sample temperature. Most rapid moisture meters require temperature compensation — measuring the grain temperature and applying a correction factor — because dielectric properties change with temperature. Cold grain arriving at intake from outdoor storage in winter can give systematically low moisture readings if temperature compensation is disabled or incorrectly applied. Fuhler Labor stocks verified pre-owned Dickey-John GAC moisture analysers and Axis laboratory balances for moisture verification — essential tools for any grain intake or processing operation.

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      How NIR Analysers Are Changing Grain Quality Control

      admin
      March 4, 2026

      Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has transformed quality control in the grain and milling industry. What once required a panel of separate wet chemistry tests — each taking hours and consuming reagents — can now be accomplished in seconds with a single, non-destructive scan. Understanding what NIR can and cannot do is essential for any modern grain handler or flour miller. The Principle of NIR Analysis NIR instruments illuminate a sample with near-infrared light across a range of wavelengths. Different chemical bonds in the sample — those of protein, moisture, starch, and fat — absorb light at characteristic wavelengths. By measuring the reflected or transmitted light pattern, the instrument uses mathematical calibration models to predict the composition of the sample. The result: protein content, moisture, starch, ash, and even wet gluten estimates — all from a single measurement taking less than 30 seconds and requiring no sample preparation beyond ensuring the grain is representative. Key Applications in the Grain Chain Calibration: The Critical Factor An NIR analyser is only as good as its calibration. Calibrations are built using reference samples with known values determined by reference methods (e.g., Kjeldahl for protein, Karl Fischer for moisture). Using the wrong calibration — one built for soft wheat on hard wheat, for instance — produces systematically incorrect results. Always verify that your instrument’s calibration matches your grain type and origin. Leading Instruments on the Market Perten DA 7250, Foss Infratec, and Bruker instruments are among the most respected NIR platforms in the industry. At Fuhler Labor, we offer pre-owned NIR analysers with documented calibration histories, allowing mills to access this technology at a fraction of the new price.

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