Patent ID: 7288768

Claim:
A method of measuring an amount of an organic substance contained within a food product, said organic substance having an infrared absorption spectrum which includes a set (n) of infrared absorption bands, the method comprising: (a) passing infrared electromagnetic radiation through said food product containing said organic substance; (b) detecting the intensity of infrared electromagnetic radiation passing through said food product containing said organic substance in ranges of wavelengths corresponding to each of a subset of said (n) infrared absorption bands to provide electrical signals corresponding thereto; (c) processing said electrical signals with a quantification algorithm so as to provide a measurement of said amount of said organic substance contained within said food product, wherein said quantification algorithm includes dividing a first wavelength band integrated absorbance value by a reference wavelength band integrated absorbance value in which said organic substance does not substantially absorb said infrared electromagnetic radiation; and (d) outputting said measurement.