ABSTRACT
There is an increasing demand of the consumers and actors of the dairy industry sector to have means of measurement allowing the characterization of dairy products. Dairy products (milk, ice cream, yogurt, butter, cheese, etc.) are in considerable demand, command premium prices, and are, therefore, vulnerable to economic adulteration. The authenticity of these products is an important issue for food processors, retailers, regulatory authorities, and consumers. It is also valuable for ensuring fair competition and as a mean of protecting consumers against fraud due to mislabeling. The chapter begins with a general introduction, then the traditional methods named physicochemical, textural, sensory, and chromatography used for the determination of the quality of dairy products are presented. Despite the importance of these methods, they are expensive and time-consuming. This is why spectroscopic methods that are considered nondestructive, need minimal sample preparation, and could be applied to any online monitoring system are illustrated in a second step..
