INTRODUCTION

Ash is the non-volatile inorganic residue that remains after the organic matter has burnt
away. The process of burning removes water and organic matter in the presence of
oxidizing agents. Complete burning of sample will denotes the ash content by measuring
the amount of white ash. Ash content is the measure of the total amount of minerals within
a food. Though the ash obtained is not necessarily the exact

same composition as the mineral components that are present in the original food
because there may be losses via volatilization or some interaction between constituents.
Furthermore, minerals can be distinguished from all of its other components within a food
in some measurable way. The method of analytical techniques applied give the minerals
content information. For complete ashing, the heating is continued until the resultant ash
is uniform in color, white or gray, occasionally green or reddish, and free from particles of
unburned carbon and fused lumps. Ashing may be performed by incineration over an
open flame, in a muffle furnace, in a closed system in the

presence of oxygen, or by wet combustion in the presence of sulfuric acid, nitric acid,
and perchloric acid alone or in mixtures. In this day and age, the commonly used methods
are based on the fact that minerals are not destroyed by heating and have low volatility
compared to other food components. The three main types of analytical procedures used
to determine the ash content of foods are Dry Ashing, Wet Ashing, and Low Temperature
Plasma Dry Ashing. Different conditions of sample need different method of analysis.
Therefore, the method that is to be chosen must consider the reason of carrying out the
analysis, the type of food used, and the availability of equipments.

In line with this, the determination of ash content is of value in the analysis of food for
various reasons. The ash content can be regarded as a general measure of quality in
certain foods such as tea, flour and edible gelatin, and often is a useful criterion in
identifying the authenticity of a food. The ash analysis has been chiefly used for the
determination of adulteration of certain foods. A high ash figure suggests the
presence of an inorganic adulterant, and this condition is advisable to determine the acid-
insoluble ash. The presence of large amounts of ash in finished products such as sugar,
starch, gelatin, fruit acids, or pectin is objectionable.

Reference:

R.S. Kirk, and R. Sawyer, Pearson's Composition and Analysis of Foods,

(9th ed.) Longman Scientific, London, P. 2 (1991).