Mineral Testing Service

Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic elements with a definite chemical composition and ordered atomic structure. More than 50 chemical elements have been found in the human body. Except for C, H, O, and N, which constitute water and organic substances, the other elements are collectively referred to as mineral elements. Mineral elements are necessary for the growth, repair and regulation of important functions of the human body. From the perspective of nutrition, it can be divided into three categories: essential elements, non-essential elements and toxic elements. The demand for major elements is relatively large, such as potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, chlorine, phosphorus, and sulfur. The trace elements necessary for the human body are iron, copper, zinc, manganese, tin, iodine, fluorine, selenium and so on. Toxic elements such as mercury, cadmium, lead, arsenic and other elements can cause toxic reactions in the body at very small doses, and they are accumulative in the human body.

Food mineral testing can effectively evaluate the nutritional value of the tested food, which is conducive to improving food production and processing technology, improving food safety and quality, and improving the production efficiency of food companies. Mineral testing can also help food manufacturers understand the contamination of food, so as to identify and control the source of contamination, thereby reducing business costs and operating risks.

The mineral testing of feed can help customers determine the reasonable amount of feed and the level of additives required. Feed manufacturers or feed managers can analyze the types and values of mineral additives (for example, phosphorus and calcium) needed and determine a reasonable amount. They can also monitor, exclude or limit any minerals (such as lead and sulfur) that may cause damage to livestock.

Our experts can provide you with comprehensive mineral testing service. We strictly abide by the quality assurance/quality control plans and regulatory requirements of each country and region to provide you with support. Including but not limited to the following standards and methods: ISO, FDA/BAM, ASTM, AOAC, EU regulations (1169/2011), LFGB, DGCCRF, DM 21/03/1973, JFSL, GB/T and SN.

Mineral Testing Service at Alfa Chemistry

Including but not limited to the following mineral testing:
Calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, iron, copper, iodine, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, cobalt, chromium, tin, vanadium, nickel, fluorine, selenium detection.

Mineral Testing Platform

• Atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS)

The light with the characteristic spectrum of the element to be measured is emitted from the light source, and when it passes through the sample vapor, it is absorbed by the ground state atoms of the element to be measured in the vapor. The degree of absorption is directly proportional to the content of the measured element. Therefore, the content of the measured element in the sample can be obtained from the measured absorbance. This method can be used for both microanalysis and ultramicroanalysis. Indirect methods can also be used to determine non-metallic elements and organic compounds. However, multiple elements cannot be analyzed at the same time.

• Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectrometer

The measured element enters the high-frequency plasma through a certain form, and is ionized into ions at high temperature. The generated ions are focused by the ion optical lens and then enter the quadrupole mass spectrometer for separation according to the charge-to-mass ratio. Either semi-quantitative analysis can be performed according to the charge-to-mass ratio, or quantitative analysis can be performed according to the number of ions with a specific charge-to-mass ratio. This method has low detection limit, wide dynamic linear range, high precision, flexible detection mode, and can simultaneously determine multiple trace elements.

Acceptable Samples: All foods, food products and feeds.

At Alfa Chemistry, our analytical scientists are experienced in testing and analyzing mineral elements. We also have a comprehensive equipment guarantee. If you have any questions or specific needs, do not hesitate to contact us.