Quality Control & NIR Technology

For ADM, quality is key

ADM realizes the importance of quality control and helps to ensure the quality of your raw materials and finished products by providing several types of analyses in conjunction with our long-term analytical partner, Upscience.

Upscience is a network of 3 accredited laboratories in France, Vietnam and Italy. Upscience is specialized in physical, chemical, molecular biology and microbiological analyses for the feed and food industries. These analyses are all carried out in line with applicable accreditations (ISO 17 025, COFRAC, ACCREDIA, EMBRAPA, CNAS, VILAS).

300 engineers and technicians work for Upscience and carry out 2,000,000 tests per year. This depth of knowledge and resources allows us to offer quality control plans based on recommendations from our experts and in accordance with current regulations.

In some countries, ADM also operates in its own laboratories (China, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Romania, and Hungary). They are dedicated to premix and feed analysis, and provide high-quality analytical services thanks to the know-how and the expertise of our partner lab: Upscience.

Analysis for every need

We have multiple test methods and analyses available to meet any need you may have. These include:

• Microbiological analyses on raw materials and finished feed products (salmonella…)
• Proximal analyses and diagnostic testing to analyze your feed ingredients, and find levels of moisture, fiber, protein, fat, starch, minerals, amino acids, vitamins, fatty acids…
• Some analyses to assess “quality”: digestibility, KOH solubility…
• Detection of contaminants and undesirable substances like mycotoxins, heavy metals and pesticides
• Detection and quantification of GMO and DNA species

Physical measures (density, particle size, granulometry, pH…)
ADM realizes that doing testing without understanding the results is fruitless. That is why we support you in the interpretation of your analytical results: we help you translate them into adapted and up-to-date formulation matrices. Once your matrices are translated and under control, we set up a formulation action plan to challenge your feed formulations and reduce production costs. This formulation assistance helps you seize sourcing opportunities, ensure consumer loyalty, and optimize feed performance.

Near infrared technology for quality control

Near infrared technology (NIR) allows you to quickly have analysis results and interpretations so you can react fast to changing situations. ADM provides a global approach to enhance the value of analysis results in your formulation.

Our NIR full package offers:

• Advice on your equipment purchase and installation monitoring
• Customized and technical training to your team in your plant (NIR feed analysis methodology, procedures, results analysis…)
• Provision of calibrations curves, updates and calibration guidance according to your needs: raw materials and/or finished product calibrations. We also ensure the development of new calibrations to follow the market demand.
• Regular collection of samples to control and update your calibrations
• Hotline for questions and technical problems (support on the critical analysis of the results, equipment and statistics)

Quality control plan

After your needs are fully identified and explored, ADM experts assist you with the definition of your quality control plan in relation to your technical, regulatory, and economic goals and objectives. Your raw materials and finished products analysis results will be then assessed, reviewed with you, and will allow adapting your feed formulation. Our quality control plans also include support for the management of undesirable substances.

Thanks to our industrial expertise, we are able to evaluate and advise you on your manufacturing process (grinding, sieving, mixing, extruder, dosage, etc.). We also pay attention to the physical form of your animal feed, as it can have a strong impact on product quality and zootechnical performance.

Finally, we offer a full package of laboratory services allowing you to get quick analyses directly in your feed plant through the NIR technology.