ISSUE FOCUS 50 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE February 2026 Balanced diets also support the removal of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) and help minimize overall antibiotic use, reinforcing animal health through prevention rather than cure. Accurate information about the nutrients in raw materials, combined with precision feeding, is crucial to optimizing this approach. ANALYTICS: THE FOUNDATION OF PRECISION FEEDING Accurate feed analysis is the first step toward precision nutrition. Modern livestock operations that rely on rapid, reliable nutrient data are better equipped to manage variability in raw materials and ensure that each animal’s diet matches their requirements as closely as possible. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) has emerged as a valuable tool for this, offering rapid analysis of key nutrients across a range of feed ingredients and finished feeds. Producers can integrate NIR into their operations in several ways. Samples can be scanned onsite using FOSS or Bruker devices, or sent to external labs. The process is simple: scan the feed ingredient with the NIR device, which shines near‑infrared light onto the sample. The sample absorbs and reflects that light in a unique pattern, a spectrum. These spectra are uploaded for analysis, and in return you receive a detailed report within minutes. This speed enables large-scale screening at low cost, supporting more consistent feed ingredient evaluation and tighter quality control. Services such as Evonik’s AMINONIR translate NIR spectra into nutrient profiles for more than 60 raw materials and finished feeds. This real-time data helps producers to verify ingredients and adjust feed formulations quickly, reducing reliance on costly protein and energy sources without compromising performance. Modern feed formulation also relies on high‑precision laboratory analysis to characterize raw materials and monitor variability. Wet‑chemistry services – including long‑established providers such as Evonik’s AMINOLab – can measure amino acids, reactive lysine, fibre fractions, starch digestibility, mycotoxins and other key parameters. These data help nutritionists identify and manage imbalances, support low‑crude‑protein strategies and maintain consistency across ingredients and finished feeds. Used alongside rapid NIR screening, they provide a more complete analytical foundation for precision feeding. QUALITY CONTROL IN ACTION Soybean products illustrate why analytics matter. Under-processing leaves trypsin inhibitors that reduce digestibility and performance, while over-processing destroys heat-sensitive amino acids and lowers digestibility of amino acids in general. With these effects not always visible, analytical tools are essential for detecting variation and maintaining consistent feed quality. Tools that assess processing intensity provide a reliable way to evaluate heat treatment and optimize digestibility. For example, indicators such as the Processing Conditions Indicator (PCI) within AMINONIR can help quantify the impact of thermal processing on nutrient availability. Continuous monitoring identifies sources of variation, providing the basis for informed decision-making and action to improve consistency. In many cases, variation can be reduced by more than 50%, supporting better feed efficiency. These improvements contribute to stronger animal health outcomes and underline the role of analytical tools as a foundation for performance and welfare. Photo: Evonik
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