Abstract:

A rapid method for the identification of wheat flour adulteration using near- and mid-infrared (NIR-MIR)
spectroscopy was proposed to overcome the shortcomings of the conventional method described in the Chinese national
standard. A calibration model was established using partial least squares regression analysis, and chemical analysis of wheat
flour was performed for ash, moisture and gluten. Moreover, a clustering analysis model was developed based on the spectral
distances measured by the standardized method to identify wheat flour adulteration. Our experimental results confirm that
this NIR-MIR spectroscopic method permits the rapid identification of wheat flour adulteration.

Key words: wheat flour, near-infrared spectroscopy, mid-infrared spectroscopy, partial least squares, cluster analysis