NIR analysis is a rapid near-infrared spectroscopic technique that measures compositional parameters such as moisture, protein and sugars by detecting how a sample absorbs infrared light, enabling high-throughput quality screening in food and agricultural trade.
In trade practice
Instruments must be calibrated against validated reference laboratory methods before results are considered reliable for trade purposes; calibration sets should represent the specific product origin and variety being tested. In honey procurement, NIR is used at intake to screen for added syrups and to estimate sugar profiles, with any flagged sample sent for confirmatory LC-MS/MS or isotope-ratio analysis. For grains and pulses, NIR lines at processing plants allow rapid lot sorting by protein or moisture without the delay of classical wet chemistry. Buyers should confirm that a supplier’s NIR results are backed by periodic reference-method cross-checks, as uncalibrated instruments can produce systematically biased readings.
In a specification
Where NIR results are used in a specification or certificate of analysis, the document should state the instrument type, calibration standard and the reference method against which the calibration was validated.