Evaluation of a rapid protein analyzer for determination of protein in milk and cream

Accurate and rapid measurement of the protein content of milk is important from both a product quality and an economic standpoint. The Sprint rapid protein analyzer (CEM Corporation, Matthews, NC) is a commercial system based on a dye-binding technique and can be used for rapid measurement of protein in foods. The objective of the present study was to compare the Sprint method with the reference method (Kjeldahl method). Milk and cream samples were analyzed in duplicate for true protein and crude protein (CP) using the reference method as well as the rapid method. Method comparison statistics (regression analysis, graphical representation, standard deviation of residuals, repeatability, and so on) were used to evaluate the agreement between the 2 methods. Regression coefficients and the intercepts were not significantly different from 1 and zero for CP measurement in milk and cream, respectively. The average coefficient of variance between the duplicate CP measurements for the Sprint method was found to be 0.40, 0.49, and 0.76 for milk, light cream, and heavy cream, respectively. True protein measurement in milk and cream also followed a similar trend. Overall, there exists a sufficient level of agreement between the Sprint rapid protein analyzer and Kjeldahl method for true protein and CP measurement of milk and cream samples.