S.L. 437.76 ст. 1Title and scope. Cap. 437. 1. This method content of 2. The sample by weighing. 3. 3.1. and 3.2. end, graduated in length. 3.3. Sand 3.4. 3.5. 4. Weigh out the dry, or hot-plate temperature Reduce the of the dish. bottom of the In order to ± 2ºC, cooling temperature in Repeat this longer exceeds An

(1) The title of these rules is the Community Methods for the Analysis and Official Control of Feedingstuffs Rules.

(2) The scope of these rules is to implement the provisions found under European Union Council Directive 73/46/EEC regarding official controls of feedingstuffs as regards moisture contents of animal and vegetable fats and oils and magnesium and crude fibre contents of feeding stuffs in accordance with the methods described in the Schedule to these rules and in accordance with article 22(c) of the Veterinary Services Act.

*These rules have been repealed by Legal Notice 37 of 2025. SCHEDULE

(Rule 2) Chapter I Determination of Moisture in Animal and Vegetable Fats and Oils

Purpose and Scope makes it possible to determine the water and volatile substances animal and vegetable fats and oils. Principle is dried to constant weight at 103 ºC. The loss in mass is determined

Apparatus

Flat-bottomed dish, of a corrosion-resistant material, 8 to 9 cm in diameter approximately 3 cm high.

Mercury thermometer with a strengthened bulb and expansion tube at the top from approximately 80ºC to at least 110ºC, and approximately 10 cm bath or electric hot-plate.

Desiccator, containing an efficient drying agent. Analytical balance. Procedure to the nearest mg approximately 20 g of the homogenized sample into weighed dish (3.1) containing the thermometer (3.2). Heat on the sand bath (3.3), stirring continuously with the thermometer, so that the reaches 90ºC in about 7 minutes. heat, watching the frequency with which bubbles rise from the bottom The temperature must not exceed 105ºC. Continue to stir, scraping the dish, until bubbles stop forming.

ensure complete elimination of moisture, reheat several times to 103ºC to 93ºC between successive heatings. Then leave to cool to room the desiccator (3.4) and weigh. operation until the loss in mass between two successive weightings no 2 mg. increase in the mass of the sample after repeated heating indicates an the fat, in which case calculate the result from the weighing carried out before the mass began to increase. Calculation of results moisture content, as a percentage of the sample, is given by the following

100 – M2) . Mo in grammes, of the test sample; M1 = mass, in grammes, of the dish with its contents before heating;

M2 = mass, in grammes, of the dish with its contents after heating. Results lower than 0ꞏ05% must be recorded as ‘lower than 0ꞏ05%’.

Repeatability The difference in moisture between the results of two parallel determinations carried out on the same sample must not exceed 0ꞏ05%, in absolute value.

Chapter II Determination of Magnesium - by atomic absorption spectrophotometry -