Near-infrared spectroscopic analysis of macronutrients and energy in homogenized meals

Near-infrared (NIR) reflectance spectroscopy was evaluated as a rapid and environmentally benign technique for the simultaneous determination of macronutrients and energy in commercially available, packaged meals. Reflectance spectra (400–2498 nm) of homogenized meals were obtained with a dispersive NIR spectrometer. Protein and moisture were measured by AOAC reference methods, total fat by a semi-automated acid hydrolysis, solvent extraction, gravimetric method and total carbohydrate calculated. Energy was calculated using Atwater factors. Using multivariate analysis software, PLS models (n = 113–115 products) were developed to relate NIR spectra of homogenized meals to the corresponding reference values. The models predicted components and energy in validation samples (n = 37–38 products), overall, with r2 of above 0.96. Ratios of deviation to performance were between 3.6 and 6.6, and indicated adequacy of the models for screening, quality control, or process control. Performance of the models varied substantially when used to predict sub-groups of meals within the validation set.