Determination of moisture in Cheddar cheese by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy

Near infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy was used to determine the moisture content of Cheddar cheese. Through multiple linear regression analysis, a 3-wavelength calibration was developed for use with a commercial filter monochromator instrument. For a validation set of 47 samples, the correlation coefficient squared (r2) between the NIR and oven moisture methods was 0.92, with a standard error of performance (SEP) of 0.38%. Sample temperature was found to significantly affect the spectral response; therefore, it was necessary to equilibrate all samples to a uniform temperature prior to NIR analysis. Aging may also affect the NIR characteristics of cheese, although it was possible to develop a successful calibration that encompassed a wide range of aging times.