Chr. Hansen announced that it has partnered with Consumer Physics to use and distribute SCiO, a feed analysis solution based on the pocket-size near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer — the smallest size available.

The solution will be rolled out initially in the U.S. — with the intention to roll it out globally over time — to Chr. Hansen’s key account managers and distributors first and then to its customers.

The device offers instant feed and forage analysis with the click of a button, enabling nutritionists and consultants to troubleshoot variations and adjust rations during farm visits, the announcement said. It allows real-time testing and is more accurate and simpler to use than other on-farm alternatives, the company said.

“Our partnership with Consumer Physics enables us to equip our key account managers and consultants with the latest technology available for animal feed analysis. With SCiO, we can now instantly fine-tune formulation and proactively detect inconsistencies in a matter of seconds. It is an important technology addition to our toolkit in our continuous pursuit for service excellence, which we also plan to roll out to all our customer base,” said Steve Lerner, Chr. Hansen Animal Health & Nutrition vice president, North America sales and marketing.

“We are thrilled to partner with Chr. Hansen,” Consumer Physics vice president of product and co-founder Damian Goldring said. “It creates perfect synergy between our breakthrough technology and Chr. Hansen’s focus on quality and innovation. Cooperating with one of the world’s leading bioscience companies further expands our mission to revolutionize feed analysis and bring decision-making out of the lab and into the field.”

The handheld spectrometer is a response to the dairy industry’s need to constantly strive for more productive and efficient operations. It allows farmers to:

* Track dry matter on a daily basis, and optimize total mixed rations;

* Control dry matter during the harvest season of corn, alfalfa and other forages, and

* Enable the farm nutritionist and feed consultants to monitor trends remotely to avoid an unexpected drop in milk yield due to feed inconsistencies.

Consumer Physics' mission is to empower people and organizations through a better understanding of the physical world. Consumer Physics was founded in 2011 and is backed by Khosla Ventures, OurCrowd and other investors.

Chr. Hansen is a global bioscience company that develops natural ingredient solutions for the food, nutritional, pharmaceutical and agriculture industries.