ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the application of spectroscopic techniques in dairy products analysis under the followings: composition analysis, adulteration, and classification. This is despite the fact that the techniques have also been used to determine physicochemical characteristics, online process control, and changes in sensory properties. More publications have been reported using infrared spectroscopy, as compared to fluorescence, Raman, or nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in these applications. In addition, midinfrared has been the more dominant technique compared to near infrared because it has better selectivity compared to the latter which is affected by several overtones and combination bands which make it difficult to interpret spectra. In conclusion, the use of spectroscopic techniques coupled to chemometric tools is a major stride in the analysis of dairy products because they have become the method of choice owing to their features that simplify the process of analysis.
