Abstract

                                Ghee is one of the important fat sources in our diet. The ghee loses its quality due to increased rancidity. Hence, a rapid grading method is required in the industry since the quality of the ghee varies according to its storage time in the market. The present study aimed to develop the rapid grading method using FT-NIR spectroscopy. The quality of the ghee was graded with two parameters mainly moisture and FFA. The FFA and moisture content of the ghee was analyzed with the chemical method, and it was used to develop the spectra for grading of ghee. The spectra of the samples were obtained and the model was calibrated and validated. The performance of the model was analyzed by R2 and RMSEcv.The coefficient of determination (R2) was > 95 % for moisture and FFA showed higher accuracy. The Residual Predictive Deviation(RPD) of the model was 5.71 and 6.36 for moisture and FFA, respectively which is greater than 3 showed the excellence of prediction. The time taken for the FT-NIR to analyze the moisture and FFA of the unknown sample was 25 s. The FT-NIR was useful for rapid quality grading of ghee.

Key words : Ghee, Moisture content, FFA, FT-NIR Spectroscopy