Latest News and Application Notes

Unlike the detailed list of nutritional requirements for human food, pet food in North America must only report on four main values in their Guaranteed Analysis on the label: protein, fat, fiber, and moisture. Additional nutrients must be included if they are called out specifically on the label, but manufacturers can also voluntarily add more nutrients to provide consumers with more information or further demonstrate the nutritional value of their products. Surprisingly, one such voluntary "nutrient" that frequently appears on labels is "ash."  However, the presence of ash in the Guaranteed Analysis does not indicate the presence of literal ash in the food; instead, it explains the process through which the mineral content is determined.

While plant-based proteins have been part of humanity's diet for centuries, it wasn't until the advent of the original textured vegetable protein (TVP) in the 1960s that it started becoming a viable replacement for animal-based protein sources in more mainstream diets. The first commercially available plant-based proteins would not be mistaken for animal-based protein sources and were largely of interest only to vegans, vegetarians, and pescatarians. 

Things have changed dramatically in the plant-based protein sector, especially in the last ten years. Meat-substitutes that looked, smelled, felt, and tasted similar to meat swept the market, and in an age where consumers are becoming more and more informed and interested in sustainability and stewardship of the planet, plant-based protein has risen as a viable alternative for about one in four consumers, those who consider themselves flexitarians.

Soil moisture is a strong indicator of the health and potential of soils in a field, but there is no set value that means soil is "good." The makeup of soil is just as important as the types of plants attempting to grow in said soil to know what levels of soil moisture are optimal for any given situation. Furthermore, nature has a nasty tendency to throw a curveball, knocking carefully balanced irrigation plans out of whack.

It remains impossible to predict the future accurately, no matter how much we try. While market forecasts and trends tend to illustrate the future of products, reality always has a chance to throw a curveball. Between the global COVID-19 lockdowns suppressing most markets and a trend toward renewable energy sources, coal was expected to start decreasing in market value. Instead, a war between Russia and Ukraine and the lifting of lockdowns has actually driven a higher demand.

Pet ownership has increased over the last few years, when an explosive boom during the COVID-19 lockdowns showing no signs of stopping. Over 70% of American households have at least one pet, with most of those homes having at least one cat or dog. As pet ownership continues to rise, so too does the demand for pet food.

In the race between the tortoise and the hare, which style of instrument analysis is best for your lab? Slow and steady or fast and loose? Unlike the fable, however, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to elemental analysis, and that is precisely why LECO's instruments do not employ one-size-fits-all methods.

As global industrialization has increased, so too has global waste. Over 2.6 trillion pounds of waste are generated worldwide each year. Energy demands continue to grow year over year, and the Earth's population is looking toward greener solutions. Those 2.6 trillion pounds of trash may be waste now, but some of it may be suitable as biomass.

How do you handle the analysis and characterization of a complex sample like whisky*? In a recent interview with eFood Lab International, Dr. Geraint (Taff) Morgan of the Applied Science & Technology Group at the Open University, UK, says a 1D quadrupole GC-MS is sufficient for routine analysis, but when he really wants to dig into the non-target analysis of a complex sample, he turns to GC-TOFMS and GCxGC-TOFMS, such as that employed by the LECO Pegasus^® BT 4D.

Got milk? The infamous advertising campaign started in 1993 for the California Milk Processor Board and was an instant success. The strength of the advertisements stays true even today, with 90% of all Americans aware of the slogan. Though the campaign has been retired in all but California these days, the dairy industry is continuing to grow around the world. A huge part of this forecasted growth comes from the growing interest in dairy protein.

If you make the same thing the same way every time, you would expect to get the same results. But anyone working in a quality control lab knows just how much variability there can be on the same line, especially when working with organic materials such as those used to make whiskey. Small changes in temperature or atmospheric humidity, or the quality of the initial mash or final barrels can change the aroma profiles of the final products, and the aroma profiles themselves can be the first indicator of a problem on the production line if they can be analyzed and characterized with enough speed and confidence.