The Australian Government is now operating in line with Caretaker Conventions, pending the outcome of the 2025 federal election.

Near infrared (NIR) instruments for sugar cane

NIR instruments measure the quality of sugar.

The sugar cane industry uses NIR instruments to assess the quality of sugar cane bought from growers.

These instruments determine values of:

  • pol
  • brix
  • fibre.

They predict these values from spectroscopic analysis of measurements of the absorbance and reflectance of NIR light in sugar cane juice. They base these predictions on libraries of spectroscopic analysis.

Following consultation, the policy for the use of these instruments for trade in the sugar industry is:

  • NMI has not specified pattern approval and verification requirements for these instruments.
  • No compliance action will be taken for the supply or use of non-approved and non-verified instruments.
  • Compliance actions would still apply if incorrect measurements are used for trade.

If a sugar mill uses an NIR instrument for trade, the sugar mill is responsible for developing and maintaining fit for purpose and auditable libraries to predict Pol, Brix and Fibre measurements.

We'll continue to review the policy by:

  • using a risk-based approach to weigh the positive and negative effects of over and under enforcement
  • using evidence-based decision-making
  • acknowledging that courts decide whether any conduct breaches measurement legislation.

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