Analytical Services Lab: Food and Forages

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	Proximal, or nutritional, analyses are used to analyze forages, feed, and food. The gravimetric technique is used to determine dry matter, ether extract, ash content, neutral and acid detergent fibers, crude fiber, and lignin contents. Spectrophotometry is used to determine carbohydrate and crude protein contents.

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Analyses can be conducted in many ways. While some are highly standardized and widely accepted, others have been developed and used by a few laboratories, and yet others are adapted to specific laboratory or experimental conditions. The establishment of any one methodology as standard requires refinement and further collaborative studies. The methods indicated below are therefore only guidelines.

Food and Forage Analysis Methods

Parameter	Method	Observations
Dry mater (%)	Gravimetry	Loss of moisture at 105 ºC
Ash (%)	Gravimetry	Residue after calcination at 550 ºC
Ether extract (%)	Gravimetry	Compounds soluble in ether
Detergent fibers (%)	Gravimetry	Compounds soluble in detergent
Crude Fiber (%)	Gravimetry	Residue after a base/acid extraction
Lignin (%)	Gravimetry	Residue after an acid extraction
Carbohydrates (%)	Molecular spectrometry (Manual)	0.5M NaOH (Kang and Brink, 1995)
Protein (%)	Molecular spectrometry (Autoanalyser)	Kjeldahl nitrogen * 6.25

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Food and Forage Analysis Methods