Feed ingredient specifications, explained parameter by parameter
Every parameter on a certificate of analysis exists for a reason. This library explains what each specification measures, how it is tested, what values are typical, and what a buyer should verify before accepting a cargo — without recommending or ranking any supplier.
Educational reference. FeedMatch Group does not rank, recommend or endorse manufacturers.
Nutrient composition
Crude Protein
Crude protein is nitrogen content multiplied by a conversion factor (usually 6.25); it estimates total protein but says nothing about amino-acid quality or digestibility.
Read the referenceMoisture
Moisture is water content expressed as a percentage; it dilutes every other nutrient, drives mould and mycotoxin risk in storage, and is the single most disputed parameter in bulk feed trade.
Read the referenceAsh
Ash is the inorganic residue after complete combustion; it indicates total mineral content and, in protein meals, is a practical marker for bone, shell, sand or mineral adulteration.
Read the referenceFat, Oil & Residual Oil
Fat content sets the energy density of an ingredient and, together with fatty-acid profile and oxidation status, determines both nutritional value and storage stability.
Read the referenceCrude Fibre & Fibre Fractions
Crude fibre is a legacy proximate measure of indigestible plant structure; NDF, ADF and total dietary fibre describe the same material more precisely and are what modern formulation uses.
Read the referenceNutritional performance
Energy Values (ME, NE, DE)
Energy values are calculated or measured estimates of the usable energy an ingredient delivers to a specific species; they are matrix values, not analytical certificates.
Read the referenceAmino Acid Profile
The amino-acid profile — and above all digestible lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan — is what protein ingredients are actually bought for in modern formulation.
Read the referenceDigestibility
Digestibility expresses the proportion of a nutrient the animal can actually absorb; it converts an analytical composition into a nutritional value.
Read the referencePhysical properties
Particle Size & Granulometry
Particle size distribution governs mixing homogeneity, pellet quality, digestive efficiency and segregation risk, and is specified as a geometric mean diameter with a distribution, not a single sieve figure.
Read the referencePurity, Foreign Matter & Adulteration
Purity covers everything that should not be in the cargo — foreign matter, other-grain admixture, hulls, soil, packaging debris and deliberate adulterants — and is verified by physical inspection plus targeted analysis.
Read the referenceContaminants & safety
Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins are toxic fungal metabolites — aflatoxins, DON, zearalenone, fumonisins, ochratoxin A, T-2/HT-2 — that form in the field and in storage and are regulated with species-specific limits.
Read the referenceHeavy Metals & Trace Contaminants
Heavy metals — lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury — accumulate in animal tissues and are regulated in feed materials, with mineral sources and marine ingredients carrying the highest inherent risk.
Read the referenceOxidation & Rancidity Indices
Oxidation degrades fats and fat-soluble vitamins, and is tracked through peroxide value, anisidine value, TOTOX and free fatty acids — a set that must be read together, not individually.
Read the referenceMicrobiological Quality
Microbiological specifications control Salmonella, Enterobacteriaceae, moulds and yeasts, protecting animal health, plant hygiene and — for several species — the human food chain.
Read the referenceContract & measurement
Tolerances & Analytical Variation
Every analytical result carries measurement uncertainty; contractual tolerances define how much variation is accepted before a price adjustment, rejection or claim is triggered.
Read the referenceShelf Life & Stability
Shelf life is the period over which an ingredient retains its declared specification under defined storage conditions; it is a conditional statement, not a fixed property of the material.
Read the referenceTechnical profiles for every major industrial feed ingredient.
Most feed-quality disputes are not analytical failures — they are documentation, sampling and condition failures. This l…
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