Accuracy of the Plastic Bead Method of Measuring Solids-not-fat of Milk Under Field Conditions

Abstract

This method can be as accurate under field conditions as in the laboratory. The mean differences between duplicate readings in the field, between duplicates in the laboratory, and between duplicate readings in the field and the laboratory were 0.07, 0.14, and 0.16% solids-not-fat, respectively. Correlations between duplicate readings, between methods, and between field and laboratory were 0.86 or greater. Although the lactometer method appears slightly more accurate than the bead method, the difference is so small as to merit little consideration in practical use.