1. Butyrorefractometer reading (BR value) Properly filtered ghee whose temperature is around 40C is taken; 2-3 drops of it is poured in to the butyrorefractometer by the side of the glass rod. Now the re ading is noted by the scale placed above the meter. Care has to be exercised to maintain the temperature of water that is flowing over the thermometer to be at 40C. If the temperature deviates, then the results obtained may not be accurate. The normal BR value of ghee ranges between 40 and 43. 2. Baudoin Test (Detection of adulteration of ghee with vanaspathi or hydrogenat ed vegetable oil) As per the prevention of food adulteration act, it has been made mandatory to ad d 5% sesame oil to vanaspathi in order to detect the presence of vanaspathi in g hee through Baudoin test. The principle behind the test is development of perman ent crimson red colour with furfural in the presence of concentrated hydrochlori c acid in ghee adulterated with vanaspathi. How to detect? Take 5 g of molten filtered ghee in a test tube and add 5 ml of concentrated hyd rochloric acid and 0.1 ml furfural solution in alcohol (2%) and mix the contents thoroughly and it is allowed to remain undisturbed for 10 min. Development of c rimson red colour shows that the ghee is adulterated with vanaspathi. 3. Detection of mineral oil in ghee About 2 g of ghee is saponified with 25 ml of 50% alcoholic potassium hydroxide for one hour. Then the saponified content is transferred to a beaker containing 100 ml of water. Development of turbidity indicates the adulteration of mineral oil in ghee. To learn more about ghee, its nutritive value and how to make ghee, please visit GHEE MAKING The author is a dairy expert, specializing in the technology and microbiology of dairy foods and holds a doctoral degree in Dairy Science; for more info on milk and dairy products please visit her site A Professional Dairy Site http://www.dairyforall.com/indian-ghee-shelflife.php Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thenmozhi_Kathirvelu