KFL Quality control and Animal Nutrition Lab

Quality control and Animal Nutrition Laboratory is an independent testing laboratory established in 1998 at Kallettumkara unit. Subsequently, KFL is well established with 4 cattle feed production units located at Central Kerala in Kallettumkara and Thodupuzha, Southern Kerala in Karunagapally, Northern Kerala in Kozhikode, each of the unit has their own QC laboratories for process quality control and raw material analysis. The QC LAB functions with the objectives to improve the in-house process quality control by ensuring quality of incoming raw materials and outgoing finished products.

QUALITY POLICY

The Quality Control department continuously improve the laboratory functioning recognizing the importance and need for the efficient feed analytic service for the live stock sector in Kerala.

Monitoring and Measurement of the quality management system of QC department is categorized as the following

1. Incoming raw materials inspection and testing will help the quality of the purchased raw materials and thereby ensure the feed quality. It include the following stages

   Stage 1: Preliminary Inspections

   Stage 2: Raw materials physical quality inspection during unloading

   Stage 3: Chemical analysis of Incoming Raw Materials

2. In process product inspection and testing: The QC department always conduct in process inspections and testings. It includes the following stages

   Stage 1: Confirming Formula used for production

   Stage 2 : Physical Quality Inspection of Mash Sample for proportionate particle size

   Stage 3: Physical quality Inspection of In processed products

3. The finished product inspection and testing at QC Lab is Sub divided into three stages as follows.

   Stage 1 : Physical Quality Inspection of finished product

   Stage 2 : Quality Inspection of Finished product bags

   Stage 3: Chemical Analysis of Finished product: The chemical analysis of finished product .

Quality control may be abstracted to a FOUR-TIER QUALITY INSPECTION SYSTEM which includes:

1. Initial raw material sample testing submitted by the vendor
2. Incoming raw materials inspection and testing
3. In-process product inspection and testing
4. Finished product inspection and checking

The QC laboratories are equipped with the most modern equipments like NEAR INFRARED SPECTROPHOTOMETER (NIR), UV-VISIBLE Spectrophotometer etc. The different equipments in the lab include:

1. NIR spectrophotometer
2. UV-VISIBLE spectrophotometer
3. ELISA reader
4. Nitrogen analyser
5. Fibre analyser
6. Fat analyser
7. Rapid moisture analyser
8. Muffle furnace
9. Hot air oven
10. High precision micro balances
11. Cyclone mill for precision grinding
12. Tensile strength testing machine

The various quality parameters analysed include:

1. Moisture
2. Crude protein
3. Crude fibre
4. Crude fat
5. Total ash
6. Acid insoluble ash
7. Minerals
8. Urea
9. Fungal toxins
10. Adulteration