Spices & Seasonings

NIR has long been used as an analysis tool in the spice industry. Incoming spices can be analyzed for moisture, protein, oil, volatile oil, and other properties to aid in processing. In-process spices can be analyzed for moisture, volatile oil, etc. to optimize the process. Finished spices can be analyzed for moisture, volatile oil, oil, protein, hot water insolubles, and more to determine quality for shipment to customers. NIR, wet chemistry and image analysis are used during the production process to ensure food quality control.

The SpectraStar 2400 or SpectraStar 2500 systems are ideal for these measurements. The SpectraStar is a full scanning monochromator that scans the NIR region in 1nm steps. One scan from the SpectraStar yields over 1000 data points. This large amount of data allows for the development of very accurate calibrations that remain stable over time. Blended spices or seasonings can be analyzed using qualitative analysis to make sure that the product meets specification. In qualitative analysis, a sample is compared against a library of good material and a simple pass / fail result is given to insure the correct ingredients have been added or the batch has been mixed for the proper time. The Q-Star software allows for performing qualitative analysis on the SpectraStar.