Near-Infrared Transform (N.I.R) Principle in Food Analysis

Food chemistry, food microbiology, food physicochemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, general chemistry, biochemistry, instrumental analysis, and nutrition are various branches of food sciences that constitute an international scientific field. It encompasses systems where devices and equipment incorporating all physical, chemical, electrical-electronic, computer, and mechanical technologies and principles are developed and used.

With the continuously growing world population, the diversification of product groups, and the increasing demand for food, the importance of topics such as quality control, food safety, and food assurance significantly affects not only human health but also society, the environment, and ecosystem health.

Bastak Instruments, which has been serving as a Research and Innovation Hub in the fields of food, grain, oilseed, legume, and feed in the world and in Turkey for a quarter of a century, pursues a policy that ensures food safety and assurance, is environmentally friendly, consumer-oriented, sustainable, and fights against scarcity and food waste.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in rapid, reliable, and environmentally friendly technologies for the analysis of food components. The dependence of traditional methods on multiple devices and chemicals, their time-consuming nature, and the need for an analyst have led to the development of various alternative technologies.

Bastak Instruments, with its international staff and state-of-the-art machinery park in the fields of food science and food technology, has pioneered environmentally friendly technologies using robotic sampling systems, technological and fast solutions that facilitate modern life, and advanced sensors.

Spectroscopic analyses are based on measuring the properties of solutions, such as the absorption, transmission, or reflection of light. The absorption of a specific wavelength of light by a substance is a characteristic feature, much like other physical or chemical properties.

Near-Infrared (NIR) Spectroscopy, one of the widely used technologies as an alternative to traditional food analysis methods, covers the wavelength range of 780 (12800 cm-1) to 2500 nm (4000 cm-1) in the electromagnetic spectrum. It forms absorption bands related to the vibrations of molecular bonds such as O-H, C-H, C-O, and N-H within the structure.

NIR Spectroscopy is based on the principle of correlating the absorption of electromagnetic spectrum in the mentioned wavelength range with the quality characteristics of food samples and resolving this correlation.

NIR Spectroscopy has been extensively researched and practically applied in various areas such as determining the milling properties of cereals, protein and moisture content, wet and dry gluten, Zeleny sedimentation, SDS sedimentation, miksograph peak resistance, gliadin and glutenin, essential amino acids, color, ash, starch damage, water absorption, dough strength, quality characteristics of fermented dough, and rheological properties of dough. It has also been used in researching and obtaining applicable data on determining the energy of various grain products, monitoring structural changes in bread during storage, determining wheat varieties, and quality analysis of bread.

The ICC Method studies using Bastak Instruments' DA 9000 NIR Technology provide users with a unique analysis experience globally, including research and development institutes, universities, quality control laboratories, and industries in many countries, including the United States, Canada, and Europe.

NIR Technique is widely used in the quantitative analysis of various components in fields such as chemistry, pharmacy, agriculture, etc. In the technology of grain, especially; results of quality criteria, including gluten, protein, ash, and sediment, can be determined with high accuracy. Grains can show differences in quality characteristics depending on the climate and soil characteristics of the region where they are grown. Therefore, developing calibration models with new data, obtaining accuracy and reliability of results with a high determination coefficient (R2) value are essential.

This technique does not damage the sample, and samples can be reused repeatedly. Multiple analysis results can be obtained simultaneously with one recorded spectrum. Thus, it is faster, more environmentally friendly, and economical compared to classical methods since no chemicals are used.

Bastak Instruments' NIR technology, which operates on the principle of near-infrared transform, is used in quality controls from raw material supply to the final product control in leading quality control laboratories worldwide. The DA 9000 NIR Devices, which use the NIR Technology, provide a sensitivity of one-thousandth of a millimeter, allowing for quality controls routinely in physical and chemical analyses of food and agricultural products.

Thanks to Bastak Instruments' superior and unparalleled NIR Technology, gluten value, protein value, moisture value, ash value, and Zeleny Sedimentation value in red wheat, white wheat, pasta wheat, and flour samples are measured within seconds.