Application for Near Infrared Spectroscopy for Predicting the Sugar Content of Fruit Juices

Near infrared spectroscopy, operated in the transmission mode, was used to predict the total sugar content of a variety of fruit juices. Attempts were made to determine individual sugars in some of the juices. The best results were obtained for total sugar determination when separate calibrations were used for each type of juice. For orange juice, when n=35, r=0.87, the standard error of calibration = 0.22, and the bias and standard error of prediction = 0.04 and 0.25 respectively. Minimal amount of sample preparation was required for the rapid and nondestructive analysis of the total sugar content of juices. The potential application and limitations of the method are discussed.