US company LECO has introduced three instruments that will help in various stages of feed manufacturing.

LECO's TFE2000 uses Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE), which is a simple automated AOAC/AOCS-approved technique for safe and quick removal of fats and oils from food, feed and oilseed samples.

Using liquid carbon dioxide at elevated pressures and temperatures as the extraction medium, SFE eliminates the need for hazardous chemicals used in other extraction methods. Up to eight TFE2000 units can be linked up with the optional Windows-based remote PC for multiple extractions in less than 45 minutes.

The second product, TGA701 Thermogravimetric Analyser, determines weight loss as a function of temperature in a controlled environment. Moisture and ash are determined in various foods, feeds, meats, oilseeds and pet foods. The equipment replaces traditional analytical techniques that require vacuum ovens, muffle furnaces or microwave ovens. A sample carousel allows 19 samples to be analysed simultaneously.

Leco's TruSpec performs fast analysis of nitrogen, combined carbon/nitrogen, and simultaneous carbon/hydrogen/nitrogen configurations. Sample sizes up to 1 gramme can be analysed in less than four minutes for organic matrices such as foods, feeds, meats, pet foods and many others.