Spotlight on protein determination: Kjeldahl vs. Dumas

The determination of nitrogen is of great importance for various fields. On the one hand, for environmental and residue analysis. Here, the nitrogen or protein content is crucial for the quality of soil, waste water, fertiliser and plant material. On the other hand, it is also an important indicator of the quality and thus the price of a product in the feed and food industry. Now, there are various methods for determining the nitrogen content in the analysis, which is then used to calculate the protein content. The two most common methods are the Kjeldahl and Dumas methods.

In this white paper, we take a closer look at the different approaches of the two methods and their specific advantages and disadvantages. We also discuss the various factors that need to be considered when deciding which method is the right choice for a laboratory.