Feed & Raw Material Quality Testing

Feed and raw material quality testing is essential for maintaining the safety, nutritional value, and performance of ingredients used in livestock feed, aquaculture feed, poultry feed, food production, and nutraceutical supply chains. Raw materials such as cereals, oilseeds, plant proteins, forages, by-products, and additives are vulnerable to contamination, nutrient variations, and storage-related degradation.

Eurofins provides comprehensive testing services through accredited laboratories and advanced analytical technologies. These services help manufacturers, farmers, feed mills, and exporters verify quality, prevent contamination, and comply with BIS, FSSAI, EU, Codex, ANSI, and global regulatory requirements.

Why Feed & Raw Material Quality Testing Matters

Benefit	Purpose
Nutritional accuracy	Confirms balanced protein, fat, fiber, and energy levels
Animal health & productivity	Identifies toxins, pathogens, and harmful chemicals
Regulatory compliance	Meets international safety standards
Cost effectiveness	Supports precise feed formulation
Export assurance	Reduces rejection risks
Safety & transparency	Prevents adulteration and ensures traceability

Key Parameters in Feed & Raw Material Testing

Nutritional Composition Analysis

Protein, fat, fiber, ash, moisture
• Amino acid and fatty acid profiling
• Energy values for poultry, cattle, and aquaculture
• Carbohydrate and starch analysis

Contaminant Screening

Mycotoxins such as Aflatoxins, DON, T-2, OTA
• Heavy metals including Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium, Mercury
• Pesticide residues
• Industrial pollutants such as PAHs, dioxins, PCBs
• Antibiotic residues in feed raw materials

Microbiological Quality

Total plate count
• Yeast and mold
• Salmonella
• E. coli and coliforms

Physical & Quality Indicators

Pellet durability and hardness
• Particle size distribution
• Bulk density and flowability
• Color, odor, and foreign matter

Adulteration & Authenticity

Non-permitted ingredients
• Species identification
• Plant-origin verification
• Detection of fillers and low-cost substitutes

Sources of Contamination in Feed & Raw Materials

Category	Description	Typical Risks
Agricultural	Pesticides, fertilizers, irrigation	Residues, nitrates
Environmental	Soil, water, industrial zones	Heavy metals, PAHs
Storage & handling	Moisture, pests, humidity	Mycotoxins, molds
Processing	Machinery, solvents, packaging	Metal fragments, chemical residues
Adulteration	Low-cost filler mixing	Nutrient dilution, safety hazards

Feed Ingredients Commonly Tested

Ingredient Group	Examples
Cereals	Maize, barley, wheat, sorghum
Oilseeds & Meals	Soybean meal, cottonseed meal, groundnut cake
By-products	Rice bran, wheat bran, DDGS
Forage Materials	Silage, hay, fresh fodder
Animal-origin Materials	Fish meal, meat & bone meal
Additives & Premixes	Vitamins, minerals, binders, probiotics

Health Risks from Contaminated Feed & Raw Materials

Contaminant	Potential Health Risk
Mycotoxins	Liver damage, immune suppression, reduced growth
Heavy metals	Neurotoxicity, organ damage, reproductive issues
Pesticide residues	Hormonal disruption and chronic toxicity
Pathogenic microbes	Infections, mortality, reduced productivity
Rancid fats & oxidation products	Poor growth, metabolic disorders
Adulterants	Nutrient imbalance and toxicity

Contaminated feed directly affects livestock growth, milk yield, egg production, meat quality, and overall farm profitability.

Regulations and standards

Aspect	FSSAI (India)	European Union (EU)
Main Regulations	Food Safety and Standards Regulation, 2011 (and amendments)	Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 on feed marketing and use
Feed Additives	Regulated under FSS (Food Products Standards, Additives) Regulations	Regulated under Regulation (EC) 1831/2003 authorization rules
Raw Material Standards	Quality/composition criteria + contaminant limits	Catalogue of Feed Materials lists authorized materials
Contaminants & Residues	Limits for heavy metals, pesticides, toxins in feed materials	Limits for contaminants set in Regulation (EU) 2023/915 and others
Labeling and Traceability	Mandatory labeling as per FSSAI (Labelling and Display Regulations)	Strict labeling and traceability under Regulation (EC) 767/2009
GMO Feed	Complies with national GMO regulations under FSSAI	GMO feed requires EU authorization under GMO legislation
Chemical Contaminant Limits	Specified in FSS (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations 2011	Detailed MLs in Regulation (EU) 2023/915 Annex

https://www.fssai.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/Compendium_Food_Additives_Regulations_20_12_2022.pdf

https://food.ec.europa.eu/food-safety/animal-feed_en

Eurofins Instrumental & Analytical Services

Eurofins uses advanced laboratory technologies to accurately detect and quantify antibiotic residues in feed and raw materials.

Instrument	Purpose
LC-MS/MS	Detection of veterinary antibiotic residues such as tetracyclines, sulfonamides, fluoroquinolones, macrolides, aminoglycosides
GC-MS/MS	Screening of antibiotic metabolites, veterinary drug breakdown products
HPLC-DAD/UV	Quantification of specific antibiotics and verification of purity in premixes
Microbiological Inhibition Assays	Broad-spectrum screening for antimicrobial activity in feed materials
ELISA-Based Rapid Tests	Fast detection of targeted antibiotic classes (e.g., beta-lactams, sulfonamides)

Eurofins Workflow

Step	Purpose
Sampling Plan	Ensures representative and contamination-free sampling
Laboratory Analysis	Nutritional, chemical, microbiological, and physical tests
Interpretation	Compares results with regulatory and nutritional standards
Recommendation	Corrective actions and feed formulation adjustments
Reporting	Digital certificates, dashboards, and batch-wise insights

Why Choose Eurofins

Global network of accredited laboratories
• High-precision multi-instrument platforms
• Expertise in feed, poultry, dairy, aquaculture, and raw materials
• Fast turnaround time with digital reporting
• Strong regulatory and export compliance support
• Trusted by feed mills, integrators, exporters, and producers

Partner with Eurofins Feed & Raw Material Quality Testing Laboratories to:

Ensure safe, consistent, and nutritionally balanced feed
• Detect contaminants before they impact animal health
• Support export and regulatory compliance
• Improve feed performance through scientific insights

Enquire now: www.eurofins.in/food-testing/enquire-now/