ARTIFICIAL SENSES IN FEED ANALYSIS: BETWEEN RESEARCH AND LEGISLATION

The ingredients used in animal feed are fundamentally important in terms of both the quality and safety of the resulting food products and for the potential human health impact associated with the animal-based food production chain (Sapkota et al., 2007). Feed analysis is an important topic in animal nutritional research and as a control: evaluation of feed quality and safety require a high number of analyses to be performed. Considering that feed science has progressively evolved, prompted by different factors such as the need to obtain validated and standardized methods of analysis, the analysis on feed should be a multi-analytical approach, in accordance with screening work conducted at different levels. For this reason new analytical laboratory instruments have been developed. Requirements for new analytical methods emphasize performance, sensitivity, reliability, speed, simplified use, low cost for high volume, and routine assays. The starting point of my PhD was a thorough review of the literature to trace the state of the art in, in vivo and in vitro models, review analytical methods used, and to critically analyze the advantages and disadvantages of different models and methodological approaches, from "wet chemistry" to modern analytical techniques and to in vitro approaches. This analysis showed clearly how the analytical approach is essential to evaluate feed and how farmers, researchers, industry and governments have been forced to give serious attention to animal feedstuff production process. New methods for evaluation of feed composition and safety have been developed. My PhD project focused on feed analysis using new analytical methods (image analysis and electronic nose), to ensure quality and safety of feed and animal origin products for human consumption. Aspects of quantification of quality and safety in real time with the objective of an instrumental response were obtained using techniques based on use of the senses, such as vision and smell, which represent rapid methods for screening and quality control feed.The research aim was to evaluate quality and safety of feed and pet food by thedevelopment and application of a multi analytical approach, as reported in the diagram below (Figure 1). In conclusion, the application of artificial senses in feed analysis can be considered an example of how science and engineering work effectively together. The image analysis and electronic nose represents new tools for rapid screening and quality control and as a support for decision making in the area of product quality. Chemometric tools are required for efficiently extracting qualitative or structural information from the wide volume of data collected. Image analysis allows, both in feed and pet food, the identification and characterization of products of animal origin (PAPs) so that morphometric descriptions of bone fragments can be used as possible markers in routine analysis. Electronic nose allows evaluation of the odour profile of pet foods, representing a promising and powerful tool able to provide immediate and satisfactory answers in complex matrices as pet food. Obviously, a legislative approach is an important issue to consider in a worldwide discussion regarding quality and safety of feed. A study was carried out to address some aspects concerning feed and food-related issues, providing an update of the current EU Regulation and Directives. To give the reader a rapid first approach to the topic of his interest, a synoptic presentation of all law related to the above-mentioned topics is given, along with the main points of each law, cited in conjunction with its effect on previous laws (replacement, modification, amendments, and main related acts). Results were used to create a database to manage the consolidation and updating of the legislative texts.