Abstract:

A method was developed for the rapid determination of the salt content in desalting solution of pickled mustard
based on electrical conductivity. Firstly, the influence of salt concentration and type and temperature on the conductivity
of the desalting solution was analyzed. Secondly, the relationship between conductivity and salt content was analyzed by
Pearson correlation coefficient, and a predictive equation for the salt content in the desalting solution was established by
linear regression analysis. Lastly, the predictive equation was validated by the titration method described in the Chinese
national standard. The results showed that the conductivity and the salt content of the desalting solution indicated an
extremely significant correlation with correlation coefficient of 0.9790. The average error between the predicted and the
experimental values was less than 5% suggesting the accuracy and effectiveness of the predictive equation. The analytical
procedure was completed in less than 15 seconds. Therefore, the established method is simple and rapid, and can be used to
determine the salt content in pickled mustard.

Key words: salt content in mustard, desalting solution, electrical conductivity, rapid determination