Soybean Meal Analysis

Research conducted by engineers at the China Agricultural University in Beijing China investigated the feasibility of visible and a near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) method for detecting vegetable meals in adulterated fish meal. Sources of fish meal and soybean meal (representative vegetable meal) which were commonly used in China were collected. Fish meal samples adulterated with different proportions of soybean meal was subjected to qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis. A series of studies was conducted to develop NIRS calibrations. Results indicated the coefficient of determination (R2) and the standard errors of calibration (SEC) were 0.989 and 1.539, respectively, between the predictive value and the actual value. To demonstrate the value of the calibration, sixty five fish meal samples adulterated with soybean meal were used as an independent validation set. The coefficient of determination (R2) and the standard errors of prediction (SEP) were 0.988 and 1.786, respectively, and the ratio of standard deviation of reference data in the prediction sample set to the standard errors of prediction (RPD) was 8.61. The researchers concluded that results of these studies demonstrate that the NIRS techniques can be used to detect the existence and the content of soybean meal in fish meal. (Comment: The relative high fish meal prices are encouraging its adulteration with other protein meal sources. This research will help reduce the practice).

Shi G.T. and co-workers. 2009. Methods of analyzing soybean meal adulteration in fish meal based on visible and near infrared reflectance spectroscopy. Guang Pu Xue Yu Guang Pu Fen Xi.: 29(2):362-366.