NIR fingerprint screening for early control of non-conformity at feed mills.

The objective of this work was to devise a complete procedure based on chemometrics and the use NIR spectroscopy at the entrance of a feed mill to provide early evidence of non-conformity and unusual ingredients and thus help to achieve cost-savings. The procedure was validated at laboratory level and was adapted for application at the Cargill Animal Nutrition feed mill. The study focused on the characterisation of pure soybean meal with the aim of creating an early control system for detecting and quantifying any unusual ingredient that might be present in the soybean meal, such as melamine, cyanuric acid or whey powder (milk serum).

Calibration transfer from dispersive instruments to handheld spectrometers.

The Foss NIRSystem 6500 is one of the most commonly used laboratory instruments in agriculture and in particular in feed. New technological developments include micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) technology, used in miniature handheld instruments such as the Polychromix Phazir spectrometer that are increasingly required for on-site analysis. The objective of this study was to assess the potential of a calibration transfer from the Foss NIRSystem 6500 to the Polychromix Phazir.