sample preparation – Fuhler Labor

Feed Quality Control: Essential Tests Every Feed Mill Should Run

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.

Why Sample Preparation Is the Most Overlooked Step in Grain Analysis

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Lab Best Practice

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.

5 Common Mistakes in Flour Laboratory Testing (and How to Avoid Them)

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Lab Best Practice

March 4, 2026

Even the best laboratory equipment produces unreliable results if the testing procedure is flawed. After years of working with flour and grain laboratories, we have seen the same errors appear repeatedly — often in facilities that consider themselves well-equipped. Here are the five most common testing mistakes and the practical steps to eliminate them. 1. Inconsistent Sample Conditioning Most flour laboratory tests are highly sensitive to moisture content. Failing to condition samples to a standard moisture level (typically 14% for wheat flour) before testing introduces systematic variability. Always use a conditioning chamber and allow adequate equilibration time — a minimum of 2 hours, preferably overnight for cold samples arriving from storage. 2. Skipping Instrument Warm-Up Electronic laboratory instruments — particularly NIR analysers and Falling Number units — require warm-up periods for their heating elements, electronics, and optics to stabilise. Running tests immediately after switching on the instrument is a common source of outlier results. Follow manufacturer warm-up specifications religiously. 3. Neglecting Reference Sample Checks Running certified reference materials at the start of each testing session is the only reliable way to verify that an instrument is performing within specification. Many laboratories skip this step to save time — and then spend far more time investigating unexpected results. A simple daily check with one certified reference takes less than five minutes and protects every result that follows. 4. Poorly Maintained Sieves and Consumables For gluten washing and sedimentation tests, damaged or clogged sieves are a frequent source of error. Sieves should be inspected regularly under magnification, replaced on a scheduled basis, and never cleaned with abrasive materials. Similarly, Falling Number viscometer tubes should be inspected for scratches, which alter fluid dynamics and introduce measurement bias. 5. Inadequate Sample Homogeneity A 10-gram sub-sample for a Falling Number test must be truly representative of the lot being assessed. Failing to properly mix and split bulk samples before sub-sampling is one of the most common root causes of between-laboratory discrepancies. Use a rotary divider or riffle splitter to ensure representative sub-samples, particularly for heterogeneous grain lots with potential sprouting pockets.

Buying Second-Hand Lab Equipment: What to Check Before You Purchase

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Uncategorized

March 4, 2026

The market for pre-owned laboratory instruments has grown substantially in recent years, driven by tighter R&D budgets, the growing availability of certified refurbished equipment, and the simple fact that many high-quality analysers last for decades with proper maintenance. But not all second-hand equipment is equal — and knowing what to look for can be the difference between a smart investment and an expensive headache. 1. Verify the Calibration Status Before anything else, ask for the instrument’s calibration records. A well-maintained lab instrument should have documented calibration intervals. For grain analysers such as NIR units or Falling Number machines, recent calibration against certified reference materials is essential. If records are unavailable, budget for recalibration costs before committing. 2. Inspect Physical Condition and Wear Points Look carefully at the specific wear points for each instrument type. On a Falling Number unit, check the viscometer tube and plunger for scratches or corrosion. On an alveograph, examine the kneading bowl and the inflation system. On moisture meters, inspect the sample chamber for contamination or residue build-up. Surface cosmetic issues rarely affect performance; mechanical wear does. 3. Request a Test Run with a Reference Sample Any reputable seller should allow you to run a certified reference sample on the instrument before purchase. Compare the result against the known value. For Falling Number analysers, a discrepancy of more than ±10 seconds from the reference should prompt further investigation. 4. Check for Spare Parts Availability Older models of some brands have discontinued spare parts. Before buying, confirm that consumables and replacement parts — such as viscometer tubes, thermal cups, or sensor modules — are still available. Fuhler Labor maintains a network of parts suppliers for brands including Perten, Bastak, Chopin, and Carbolite. 5. Ask About the Equipment’s History Find out how intensively the instrument was used. A unit from a research laboratory running 20 samples per week is very different from one from a production mill running 200 samples per day. Usage intensity directly correlates with mechanical wear. At Fuhler Labor, every instrument listed on our platform is physically inspected and tested before listing. We believe transparency is the foundation of trust in the pre-owned equipment market.

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Feed Quality Control: Essential Tests Every Feed Mill Should Run

Why Sample Preparation Is the Most Overlooked Step in Grain Analysis

5 Common Mistakes in Flour Laboratory Testing (and How to Avoid Them)

Buying Second-Hand Lab Equipment: What to Check Before You Purchase

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Tag: sample preparation

Feed Quality Control: Essential Tests Every Feed Mill Should Run

Why Sample Preparation Is the Most Overlooked Step in Grain Analysis

5 Common Mistakes in Flour Laboratory Testing (and How to Avoid Them)

Buying Second-Hand Lab Equipment: What to Check Before You Purchase