Determination of L-malic acid in wine by enzymatic perturbation using spectral evolution profiling with FTIR spectroscopy and multiway chemometrics

Description

The determination of malic acid in wine in very low concentrations (<30mg/L) is of great importance for the winemaker in order to monitor and control the malolactic fermentation. Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is a rapid analysis often used in routine control in wine production, though it cannot be used for determination of analytes in low concentration due to strong water absorption and interferences in infrared spectra. By introducing an enzymatic perturbation of an analyte and monitoring the spectral changes over time using FTIR spectroscopy, the initial concentration of the analyte can be deduced and the detection limit of the analysis can be reduced.

Period	30 Sept 2015 → 29 Mar 2016