How to Read a Feed Ingredient Specification Sheet: 7 Numbers That Actually Matter

Most specification sheets in this industry are marketing documents wearing a table format. A genuinely useful one lets a buyer catch a problem before the container ships, not after it arrives. These are the seven numbers worth checking on any offer, and what each one is actually telling you.

1. Crude protein: guaranteed versus measured

Every spec sheet states a guaranteed minimum. Fewer state a measured value from recent production. The gap between the two matters. A supplier quoting exactly the guaranteed minimum as their typical value is telling you they run close to the line, which leaves no margin if a single lot underperforms.

2. Moisture

High moisture does two things: it dilutes every other percentage on the sheet, and it creates conditions for mould growth in transit and storage. A moisture guarantee above 12 percent on a protein meal is worth querying rather than accepting at face value.

3. Crude ash

Ash is mineral content, and a high figure usually means contamination with soil, sand or processing residue rather than a nutritionally meaningful mineral contribution. Ash above the typical range for that ingredient category is a signal to ask about the processing method.

4. Mycotoxins: aflatoxin B1, zearalenone, vomitoxin

These three are tested because they are the mycotoxins most commonly found in cereal and oilseed by-products stored in humid conditions. A specification sheet that omits mycotoxin data entirely, rather than stating a tested result, usually means testing was not done, not that the product is clean.

5. Digestibility indicators

Crude protein tells you what is present. It says nothing about what the animal can actually absorb. The indicator differs by ingredient type: pepsin digestibility on animal proteins like feather meal and liver powder, acid-soluble protein on fermented products, KOH protein solubility on oilseed meals like peanut and soybean meal. A high crude protein figure paired with a low or absent digestibility indicator is worth more scrutiny than the protein number alone suggests.

6. Volatile basic nitrogen

This appears on animal-origin proteins as a freshness measure. It rises as proteins break down after slaughter, so a high VBN figure indicates raw material that sat too long before processing, regardless of what the crude protein figure shows.

7. Shelf life and packing

A stated shelf life without a stated packing method is close to meaningless, since moisture ingress through poor packaging shortens real shelf life regardless of what the label claims. Jumbo bag specification and any liner detail should accompany the shelf life figure.

What a complete specification sheet looks like

All seven numbers, guaranteed and measured where applicable, on a document that names the testing standard used. If a supplier cannot produce that, either the testing was not done, or the numbers being quoted are not the numbers that will actually ship.

Frequently asked questions

Should every parameter be tested on every single lot, or just periodically?

Mycotoxins and moisture should be tested per lot, since these vary with storage conditions and season. Amino acid profile and mineral content are more stable and are typically tested periodically rather than per shipment.

What if a supplier will not share measured values, only guaranteed minimums?

That is common and not automatically a red flag on its own, but it does mean the buyer is taking on more uncertainty. Requesting a certificate of analysis from a recent, comparable shipment is a reasonable middle ground.

Is a certificate of analysis the same as third-party inspection?

No. A certificate of analysis is the supplier’s own lab result. Third-party inspection, through SGS, Intertek or CCIC, is an independent check at load port and carries more weight precisely because it is not self-reported.

Every ingredient in our catalogue carries this same standard: guaranteed and measured values shown separately, mycotoxin results on the certificate of analysis, and third-party inspection available on request. Request a quotation for a specification and delivered price.