Making the most of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS)
Our increasingly detailed knowledge and understanding of the nutritional needs of production animals means we now have the potential to provide feeds which optimise health, growth, and hence, financial return. Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) has provided the feed industry with the means to meet that potential by accurately measuring key nutritional components, such as essential amino acids, in feed ingredients as they arrive at the feed mill, and finished feeds as they leave. This fast, accurate and cost-effective technology has thus become an industry standard in most markets around the world.
As with most technology, NIRS is only as good as the system within which it is used. The aim of this short article is, therefore, to provide some guidance on how to make the most of NIRS as an animal feed quality control tool.