Ash

Total ash versus acid-insoluble ash

Total ash tells you how much mineral is present. Acid-insoluble ash tells you how much of it is sand, soil or silica — material with no nutritional value that occupies formulation space and abrades processing equipment. For imported meals, acid-insoluble ash is often the more informative specification.

Ash as a dilution signal

In marine and animal proteins, rising ash usually means rising bone and falling digestible protein. In plant meals, rising ash usually means soil carry-over from harvesting or storage. Neither is an automatic rejection, but both change the true value of the cargo.

Valeurs industrielles de référence

Indicative industry reference values for orientation only — always contract against the delivered lot.

À vérifier

• —Both total ash and acid-insoluble ash on the certificate of analysis
• —Calcium and phosphorus where ash exceeds typical plant-protein levels
• —Consistency across shipments from the same origin and process route

Risques typiques

• —Hidden dilution with inorganic material
• —Abrasive wear in hammer mills and pellet dies
• —Mineral balance disruption in tightly formulated diets

Erreurs fréquentes

• —Specifying total ash only
• —Assuming a high-ash marine protein is automatically poor quality without checking bone-to-protein ratio

Questions fréquentes

Sujets liés