Dried pet food analysis by nearinfrared spectroscopy (NIRS)

Significance of the topic

Accurate control of moisture protein fat and ash in dried pet food is essential for complying with nutritional guidelines regulatory standards and ensuring consistent product quality for pet owners and manufacturers

Study objectives and overview

This application note explores the feasibility of near infrared spectroscopy as a rapid nondestructive method for determining moisture protein fat and ash content in commercial dried pet food samples comparing whole and ground material to optimize quality control workflows

Methodology

A total of 199 dried dog and cat food samples from various suppliers were prepared in both whole and ground forms Reference moisture values were obtained by ISO 6496 protein by ISO 5983 fat by ISO 6492 and ash by ISO 5984 An external validation set ensured unbiased assessment of model performance

Instrumental setup

Measurements were carried out on an OMNIS NIR Analyzer Solid configured for diffuse reflection Each sample was placed in a rotating cup to collect spectra from multiple positions Automated averaging generated representative spectra for calibration and validation steps

Main results and discussion

Calibration models exhibited strong correlation between NIR predictions and reference methods for all analytes Prediction accuracy improved with ground samples Figures of merit from external validation demonstrated low prediction errors and robust model performance across moisture protein fat and ash determinations

Benefits and practical applications

Near infrared spectroscopy reduces analysis time from several hours to less than a minute per sample while eliminating extensive sample preparation This approach supports real time quality control at line and inline configurations enhancing throughput and decision making in pet food production

Future trends and opportunities

Expansion of calibration databases to include diverse pet food formulations integration of advanced chemometric and machine learning techniques and deployment of online NIR systems for continuous process monitoring represent promising developments for industry adoption

Conclusion

NIR spectroscopy using the OMNIS NIR Analyzer Solid offers a fast accurate and user friendly solution for routine analysis of moisture protein fat and ash in dried pet food Grinding samples further improves prediction precision while pre calibrated models simplify implementation enabling rapid quality assessment