Raman spectroscopic quantification of milk powder constituents

Raman spectroscopy has significant potential for the quantification of food products. Milk powder is an important foodstuff and ingredient that is produced on large scale (over 20 million tonnes per annum). Raman spectroscopy, unlike near- and mid-infrared spectroscopies, has not been used extensively to quantify milk powder constituents. The effect of sample presentation on spectroscopic calibrations of protein and fat for 136 New Zealand milk powders was assessed using Raman spectroscopy. Prediction models were produced to quantify a protein concentration range of 32.19–37.65% w/w for skim milk powder, and a protein concentration range of 23.34–25.02% w/w and a fat concentration range of 26.26–29.68% w/w for whole milk powder (where ratios of prediction to deviation exceeded 2.6 with one exception). The resultant calibrations were not influenced by sample orientation; the sample temperature during data collection did affect the calibrations. Calcium fortification in the form of calcium carbonate was identified within a sub-set of samples, reinforcing the efficacy of Raman spectroscopy for identifying both crystalline and non-crystalline constituents within milk powder.