ペットフード

魚用飼料ペレットは、押出成形や真空コーティングなどの様々な製造工程を経て作られるため、かなり複雑です。
使用する原材料の品質にはばらつきがありますが、最終製品は栄養面でも物理的な特性でも一定の品質である必要があります。
ペレットの微細構造は、脂肪の分布、水中での浮遊性、輸送中の機械的強度などに大きな影響を与えるため、制御すべき重要なパラメータとなります。
3D X線顕微鏡(XRM)は、細孔構造やペレット中の脂肪の分離を迅速に評価することができます。XRMによる非破壊の3次元可視化は、飼料製造のモニタリングだけでなく、飼料エンジニアリングの支援にも理想的です。

Ensuring that pet food products contain the correct mineral balance is essential for pet health, product quality, and consumer satisfaction.

Important elemental nutrients for pets include sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), phophorus (P), calcuium (Ca) to iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and selenium (Se).

The levels of these nutrients must be carefully optimzed to match the varying dietary requirments of different species of pets, breeds and life stages. Addiitionally, the ratios of the elements present must also be correct to ensure nutrition is met - for example, the Ca to P balance is important for the skeletal metabolism. 

X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry enables the fast, reliable and non-destructive determination of the complete mineral profile of pet food products, including macro-, micro- and trace minerals, as well as contaminants. 

XRF analysis can be used across the production cycle - from starting raw materials to intermediate pre-mixes and final pet food products. Wet and dry samples can be measured as they are or with only minimal sample preparation. 

Bruker's XRF solutions, such as the S2 PUMA benchtop ED-XRF, are easy to use and allow for raw material check, at-line process monitoring and final quality control within minutes after sampling. 

Bruker’s XRF range includes instruments for every application and budget to meet the needs of animal food manufacturers. 

These solutions include:  

• ED-XRF and WD-XRF spectrometers for high-throughput, laboratory-grade elemental analysis.
• Handheld and portable XRF analyzers for quick and accurate elemental analysis.
• TXRF spectrometers for ultra-trace elemental analysis.

if you are interested in learning more about the benefits of XRF for your pet food production and quality assurance processes contact one of our experts. 

Fish feed pellets are pretty complex to make with different production steps such as extrusion and vacuum coating involved.
Despite the fluctuating quality of the raw materials used, the final product needs to be of constant quality both in terms of nutritional as well as physical properties.
A key parameter to control is therefore the pellet microstructure because it has a significant impact e.g. on the fat distribution, the floating behavior in the water, or the mechanical strength during transport.
XRM enables fast evaluation of the pore structure and separation between matrix and fat. Non-destructive 3D visualization with XRM is thus ideal to support feed engineering, as well as monitoring feed production.