FTMIR-PLS as a promising method for rapid detection of adulteration by waste whey in raw milk

In this paper, we propose a feasible, sample preparation free and fast validated methodology for the detection and quantitative analysis of Minas Frescal cheese waste whey as an adulterant in raw milk using mid-infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transform (FTMIR) along with the chemometric technique of partial least squares (PLS). The PLS model was built in accordance with Brazilian and international guidelines and was analytically validated through the estimate of figures of merit parameters, in accordance with ASTM E1655-05 standard. This model showing an effective and feasible method for quality control of raw milk can be adopted for the quality control by regulatory agencies, as shown by the satisfactory results obtained for all estimated figures of merit with no systematic errors and low errors, with R=0.99.