CONTROL SERIES No. 44 



CONTROL SERVICE 



INSPECTION OF COMMERCIAL FEEDSTUFFS 



By Philip H. Smith, Marvin W. Goodwin and John W. Kuzmeski, Chemists, 



Frederick A. McLaughlin, Microscopist, James T. Howard, Inspector, 



and Cora B. Grover, Clerk. 



This bulletin is a report of feed inspection service for the year ending Septem- 

 ber 1, 1928. During the year IGOO samples of feeding stuffs, collected of dealers 

 and manufacturers, were chemically analyzed. All of the prepared feeds con- 

 sisting of two or more ingredients were subjected to microscopic examination 

 as well. Two hundred and thirty-three dealers located in 141 towns and cities 

 were visited at least once. Nine hundred and fourteen brands of feedstuffs 

 were registered for sale in Massachusetts by 322 manufacturers. 



It is beUeved that the 914 registrations include most of the brands of feeding 

 stuffs sold in Massachusetts. When sold in an appreciable amount it is not 

 difficult to check unregistered special purpose feeds. Unregistered wheat by-prod- 

 ucts (bran, middlings and mixed feed), and to a lesser extent other straight 

 by-products, present greater difficulty in that at the time of shipment their 

 ultimate destination may not be knowm and ownership may change several 

 times whUe the goods are in transit. For this reason single cars of wheat by-prod- 

 ucts are occasionally found which have not been registered for sale. 



Guarantee deficiencies were slightly greater than for 1927. No cases were 

 brought for trial in the local courts, although in accordance with our usual custom 

 a number of Federal samples were drawn and submitted to the Federal enforce- 

 ment officials for action. Several samples of corn and oat mixtures were found 

 which, whUe they purported to be whole corn and whole oats, were mixtures of 

 corn and oat products. The manufacturers upon having the matter brought 

 to their attention retagged the goods and registered them to conform to the true 

 content. 



The sale of alfalfa leaf meal for poultry feeding is increasing. Some of this 

 could not be properly classed as leaf meal. In accordance with the definition 

 for alfalfa leaf meal adopted by the Association of Feed Control Officials, it 

 should not contain more than IS per cent of fiber. 



Microscopic Examination 



Eight hundred and eighteen samples of feeding stuffs were examined. Of 

 these only fifteen showed a variation from ingredient guarantee and in most 

 cases this was too slight to merit serious criticism. 



It has been charged that many of the prepared feeds on the market contain 

 a great deal of low grade material used as filler. Our examination does not show 

 this to be the case. WhUe it is true that there are all sorts of feeds offered, it 

 is also true that feeds containing filler are properly labeled and no one need be 

 misled in their purchase. 



