Accurate technique for measuring color values of grain and grain products using a visible-NIR instrument

Abstract

Measuring color is important when assessing grain and grain products as this has a major influence on the end-product quality. To objectively measure color, grain processors and plant breeding programs use colorimeters to measure L*a*b* values as defined by the Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE). In addition to color, most laboratories undertake other tests, often utilizing NIR (near infrared reflectance) technology. It is possible to improve laboratory efficiencies and remove double handling of samples by using one instrument, a visible-NIR spectrophotometer (400-2,500 nm), to measure color and other quality traits such as protein. In this study, we compared two techniques for m..