The determination of protein, fat and moisture in bread by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy

Near infrared (n.i.r.) reflectance spectroscopy has been employed for the determination of protein, fat and moisture in sliced white bread. N.i.r. reflectance at six wavelengths was measured using circular samples from each of six alternate slices taken from one half of each of 30 loaves of different composition. The six readings for each loaf at each wavelength were averaged and used to produce calibrations which, on prediction of the compositions of a further 30 loaves sampled in the same way, gave rise to standard deviations of differences between n.i.r. and standard procedures of 0.20% for protein, 0.18% for fat and 0.51% for moisture. Calibrations derived from the other halves of the loaves, which had been air‐dried and ground to a powder, resulted in similar standard deviation of differences for protein and fat.