Evonik has rolled out a high-precision near-infrared spectrometry (NIR) analytical service that enables the content of raw, unground feed materials to be assessed as soon as they arrive at the mill.

The amino acid and macronutrient content of samples can now be analyzed quickly, straight from the delivery truck, cutting out the time-consuming grinding step. The results can then be compared to NIR calibrations of more than 60 raw materials on Evonik’s new supporting site at www.aminonir.com.

“Knowing the composition of raw feed materials is essential for the operators of feed mills,” explained Dr. Alfred Petri, senior vice president sales animal nutrition at Evonik. “It is the only way to produce feed mixtures according to specification to ensure optimum animal performance. This is because nutrient content can vary considerably, depending on variety, climatic conditions, soil quality, storage and processing.”

Evonik said its customer research has shown that, for many, the grinding required for sample preparation represents a major obstacle for routine, timely analysis of delivered raw materials. It was in response to this unmet need that the company adapted its analytical NIR services to include unground raw feed materials and, thus, make analyses even faster and easier.

“Thanks to our decades of experience with NIR and analyzing millions of raw feed material and feed mixture samples from all over the world, we are now in a position to determine the nutrient content of unground material with high accuracy," Petri said.

Frequently, raw feed materials are only analyzed for moisture and raw protein content or foreign matter at the time of delivery. Evonik's advanced NIR analysis now enables customers to analyze raw feed materials for amino acid and macronutrient content in the same measurement during the incoming goods inspection. This allows different batches to be stored according to their quality.

Evonik also offers its customers the option to analyze ground raw feed materials. This can be done at a later time to accommodate the work processes of the feed mill.

“Understanding the exact nutrient composition of raw materials helps to improve safety margins and avoid possible over- or under-dosing. That can lead to considerable savings," Petri said.

The company said it recently published updates of all NIR calibrations. More than 60 testable raw materials and feed mixtures are available, including alfalfa meal, which is used in poultry and dairy cow feed.