INSPECTION OF COMMERCIAL FEEDSTUFFS 



By Feed Control Service Staff: 



John W. Kuzmeski, Research Professor, Official Chemist 



Albert F. Spelman, Associate Research Professor 



C. Tyson Smith, Associate Research Professor. Microscopist 



Robert T. Wetherbee, Assistant Research Professor 



Joseph Bart, Research Instructor 



Edward S. Berestka, Research Instructor 



Joseph A. Martell, Technical Assistant 



Joseph Conklin, Inspector 



Cora B. Grover, Principal Clerk 



FOREWORD 



This bulletin reports the work done by the Feed Control Service on samples 

 officially taken by the State feed inspector. 



In addition to the work covered by the data presented here, the Control 

 Service does a great deal of analytical work on unofficial samples. These include 

 feed samples submitted by citizens of the Commonwealth who suspect that the 

 feed in question either lacks some nutritive factor or contains a toxic ingredient. 



About 1,500 samples are received each year from State institutions. These 

 samples represent lots delivered to the institutions by manufacturers who mix 

 the feeds according to specifications furnished by the State Purchasing Agent. 

 The feeds are examined microscopically, and chemical analysis are made if 

 necessary. Acceptance or rejection of the feeds is dependent upon the recom- 

 mendation of the Control Service. 



The department participates in check sample programs to be sure that 

 the results of this laboratory are in line with those of other similar laboratories. 

 Collaborative work is carried on in investigations for new and improved methods 

 for the determination of those minerals, vitamins, drugs, and other nutritive 

 factors that are claimed to be present in mixed feeds or feed ingredients. 



It has been evident for some time that the time-honored determinations for 

 moisture, protein, fat, fiber, and ash furnish only a small part of the data needed 

 for the evaluation of feed quality. Indeed, with the continued lowering of the 

 fat content of feed ingredients, the determination of fat in mixed feeds may be of 

 questionable value until the critical fat level is reached. Certainly there seems 

 to be little value in either fat guarantees or fat determinations on such materials 

 as alfalfa products, dried skim milk, bone meal, and solvent-extracted vegetable 

 protein meals. Moisture determinations may also be omitted in many cases. 



It is time well spent for those in feed control to scrutinize carefully the de- 

 terminations that are being made. The elimination of tests that have little 

 value provides the time for making other tests that have much greater sig- 

 nificance for judging the relative merits of feed ingredients and mixed feeds. 



