Protein Quantity

As one would expect, soil fertility and available moisture during the growing season have a significant impact on flour protein. Rich soils, ample moisture early in the season, and diminishing moisture levels as harvest-time nears tend to result in grain with higher protein levels. The quantity of protein in a flour sample is calculated from the nitrogen content of the flour. The most common method for determining protein quantity, in use for almost a century, is called the Kjeldahl method. A newer test, equally accurate, is known as the Near Infrared Reflectance, or NIR. An infrared beam infuses a flour sample, and an almost instant reading of the protein content is produced. In the present flour sample, the protein was determined using the NIR method.