Determining the mean concentration of tracer in a batch of heterogeneous animal feed

During tests to assess the amount of carry-over in delivery trucks, it became apparent that the best approach would be to take a 200-kg sample with a heterogeneous distribution of tracer (Technical Datasheet No.49). One would expect that this heterogeneous sample would have to be homogenised with a mixer before testing it in order to determine the mean concentration. This would distribute the tracer evenly throughout the batch, meaning that the samples could be considered representative of the mean concentration of tracer in the original heterogeneous mix. The drawback of this protocol is that it requires both major investment in a mixer and a space-intensive installation.