The Reichert-Meissl (RM) number is a measurement used to detect adulteration in butter and ghee. It measures the number of millimeters of 0.1N alkali needed to neutralize the volatile fatty acids distilled from 5g of fat. A lower RM value indicates the butter or ghee has been adulterated with animal fat. The RM number was developed by the chemists Emil Reichert and Emerich Meissl and helps predict properties of fatty acids.