QA/QC of flours using the Agilent Cary 630 ATR-FTIR analyzer

Importance of the Topic

Quality control of flour raw materials is critical for maintaining consistent product performance, ensuring compliance with labeling regulations, and minimizing variability between batches. Rapid, in-field authentication of flour composition helps food manufacturers and quality laboratories confirm that incoming shipments conform to specifications before processing.

Objectives and Study Overview

This study evaluates the Agilent Cary 630 ATR-FTIR analyzer as a tool for on-site QA/QC of various flour types. The aim is to demonstrate a fast, non-destructive method to distinguish between wheat, gluten-free, legume, and other specialty flours by comparing their mid-infrared spectra against a reference library.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Sample Preparation and Data Collection

• No weighing or chemical preparation required; a small amount of powder is placed directly on the diamond ATR crystal.
• A pressure clamp ensures consistent contact without overtightening.
• Infrared spectra recorded with 64 scans at 4 cm⁻¹ resolution (approx. 30 s per measurement).

Instrumentation

• Agilent Cary 630 portable ATR-FTIR spectrometer with diamond crystal.
• Agilent MicroLab FTIR software for spectral acquisition, library creation, and pass/fail or similarity reporting.

Main Results and Discussion

Overlaying spectra from chickpea, oat, rice, corn, soya, hemp, wheat, and other flours revealed distinct absorption bands associated with:

• Moisture (O–H stretching).
• Proteins (amide I and II bands).
• Carbohydrates (C–O and C–H vibrations).
• Lipids (C=O stretching).

Spectral matching against a custom library enabled immediate identification of unknown samples and quantification of similarity percentages to monitor lot-to-lot consistency.

Practical Benefits and Applications

The Cary 630 ATR-FTIR provides:

• Rapid verification of flour identity and purity at receiving docks, in warehouses, or on production lines.
• Non-destructive analysis with minimal operator training.
• Robust performance across a wide range of flour types, including gluten-free varieties.

Future Trends and Applications

Advances in chemometric modeling and integration with cloud-based spectral databases are expected to:

• Enhance quantitative determination of protein, moisture, and lipid content.
• Improve detection of adulteration or contaminants through AI-driven pattern recognition.
• Enable real-time monitoring and automated QC workflows in food processing environments.

Conclusion

The Agilent Cary 630 ATR-FTIR analyzer offers a portable, user-friendly, and efficient solution for on-site QA/QC of flours. Its ability to generate high-quality spectra in under a minute and provide immediate sample identification supports consistent quality management across supply chains.

References

1. Karoui, R., Downey, G. & Blecker, C. (2010). Mid-infrared spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics: a tool for the analysis of intact food systems and the exploration of their molecular structure-quality relationships — a review. Chemical Reviews, 110, 6144–6168.