INSPECTION OF COMMERCIAL FEEDSTUFFS 



By Feed Control Service StafiF 



John W. Kuzmeski, Research Professor, Official Chemist 



Albert F. Spelman, Associate Research Professor 



C. Tyson Smith, Associate Research Professor, Microscopist 



Bertram Gersten, Assistant Research Professor 



Mildred Vander Pol, Research Instructor 



George Caldes, Research Instructor 



Joseph Conklin, Inspector 



Edward F. Vlach, Technical Assistant 



Cora B. Grover, Principal Clerk 



INTRODUCTION 



In general, analytical results on ofiBcial samples show that feed manufacturers 

 were successful in maintaining the guarantees on the products sold in Massachu- 

 setts during the past season. Even in cases showing deficiencies in protein and fat 

 or excessive fiber content the variations from guaranteed analysis were not great 

 enough to cause serious economic loss to the purchaser. 



When variations in drug content are considered, it is a different matter. The 

 incorporation of small quantities of drugs in the proper amounts in feed occasionally 

 is still a problem. Constant vigilance on the part of the feed manufacturer is neces- 

 sary to prevent either excessive quantities of the drugs appearing in the feeds to 

 which the drugs are being added or the unintentional appearance of the drugs in 

 feeds for animals that may be particularly susceptible to poisoning by such drugs. 



Moderate excess of most drugs used for the prevention or cure of poultry 

 diseases is tolerated by poultry. Even great excess of some drugs causes no 

 permanent harm if not fed for prolonged periods. However, some animals, par- 

 ticularly dogs, are affected seriously by some drugs, although the drugs are present 

 only in the low quantities that are used in poultry feeding daily for long periods of 

 time. 



Therefore, when the same mixing system is used for manufacturing poultry, 

 swine, and dog feeds, great care must be taken to insure that the mixing machin- 

 ery is entirely free of poultry drugs before the feeds for other animals are mixed. 



Also, since a part of the feed manufacturer's warehouse now resembles a con- 

 cern manufacturing pharmaceutical products, a mistake in the choice of ingred- 

 ients for a particular feed mixture is far more serious than it would have been 

 a few years ago. Proper safeguards against such mistakes must be taken volun- 

 tarily by the feed manufacturer to avoid possible future legislative action restrict- 

 ing the use of certain drugs and other products in feeds. 



