Quality evaluation of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) by near-infrared spectroscopy.

The legal method (polarimetric measurement) for the determination of sucrose content and the wet chemical analysis for the quality control of sugar beet uses lead acetate. Because heavy metals are pollutants, the law could forbid their use in the future. Therefore, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was evaluated as a procedure to replace these methods. However, there are alternatives to lead clarification, such as the use of aluminum salts, which have been applied at many sugar companies. The real advantage of NIRS is in speed and ease of analysis. The aim of this study was to determine simultaneously the concentration of several components which define the industrial quality of beets. The first objective was the determination of sucrose content, which determines the sugar beet price. The standard error of prediction (SEP) was low: 0.11 g of sucrose/100 g of fresh beet. NIRS was also able to determine other beet quality parameters: brix, marc, glucose, nitrogen, sodium, potassium, sugar in molasses (i.e. sucrose in molasses), and juice purity. The results concerning brix, marc, sugar in molasses, and juice purity were satisfactory. NIRS accuracy was lower for the other parameters. Nevertheless, RPD (ratio standard deviation of concentration/SEP) and RER (ratio concentration range/SEP ratio) show that NIRS might be used for the sample screening on nitrogen, potassium, sodium, and glucose content.