Background

Production and use of animal feeds is an important global industry estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Monitoring feeds and premixes is critical to ensure proper nutrient balance for the animal lifecycle. Particular feeds are formulated for specific needs. In the case of the hay, a low iron content is desirable. For example, feed for veal calves is intentionally kept low in iron content. This produces veal that is white, while higher iron content produces the less desirable pink meat. For these low iron feeds it is important to measure the iron content in the raw materials such as hay. EDXRF (energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence) is a simple, non-contact, non-destructive analysis technique that is ideal for use in the measurement of elemental concentration. The Rigaku NEX QC analyzer meets this industry need with a small, self-contained analyzer that is simple to use, giving quality technicians fast analysis times during the processing and use of raw materials and animal feeds.