Patent ID: 6907351

Claim:
A method comprising: electronically receiving a request from a customer to predict the content level of at least one component in a feedstuff, wherein the request includes a near infrared reflectance spectrum of the feedstuff and the component is selected from proteins, total or digestible amino acids, gross or metabolizable energy, total or retained phosphorous, an impurity and a toxin; comparing the spectrum to a specific database calibration that correlates known content levels of the component in other feedstuff to known near infrared reflectance spectra specific of the other feedstuff predicting the content level of the component; and electronically reporting the prediction to the customer; said method further comprising determining that an outliner exists when the prediction of the content level of the component has a degree of error that exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and providing the prediction report to the customer at no cost when the prediction of the content level is determination to be an outlier.