On-line prediction of fresh pork quality using visible/near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy

Visible/near-infrared (Vis/NIR) spectroscopy was tested to predict the quality attributes of fresh pork (content of intramuscular fat, protein and water, pH and shear force value) on-line. Vis/NIR spectra (350–1100 nm) were obtained from 211 samples using a prototype. Partial least-squares regression (PLSR) models were developed by external validation with wavelet de-noising and several pre-processing methods. The 6th order Daubechies wavelet with 6 decomposition levels (db6–6) showed high de-noising ability with good information preservation. The first derivative of db6–6 de-noised spectra combined with multiplicative scatter correction yielded the prediction models with the highest coefficient of determination (R²) for all traits in both calibration and validation periods, which were all above 0.757 except for the prediction of shear force value. The results indicate that Vis/NIR spectroscopy is a promising technique to roughly predict the quality attributes of intact fresh pork on-line.     

Prediction of the amino acid composition in brown rice using different sample status by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy

In this study, 279 samples of brown rice grains and their flour, selected from a larger original population, were scanned by NIRSystem model 5000 mono-chromator in these two kinds of sample status for near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) analysis. Spectral pretreatment method 2,8,8,1 combined with SNV + D scatter correction was found suitable for developing calibration equations for amino acids. Equations for total amino acid content and for all individual amino acids, excluding cystine, methionine and tyrosine, were developed with this spectral pretreatment method. These equations had low SECV (0.010–0.063%) and SEP (0.011–0.066%); with high 1 − VR (0.878–0.960), R² (0.837–0.947) and SD/SEP (2.421–4.333). The results suggest that equations for the thirteen amino acids from the two sample categories can be directly used to estimate the amino acid composition in brown rice. This indicates once more that NIRS is a powerful technology that could be very useful for the determination of amino acid content in breeding programs that involve brown rice as well as for quality control in the food industry.     

Determination of fatty acids in broiler breast meat by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy

The aim of this study was to develop near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) calibrations for determination of the fatty acids (FA) in broiler breast meat. A total of 144 breast meat samples were freeze-dried and divided into calibration set and validation set. Calibration models were developed for FA including C14:0, C16:0, C16:1n-7, C18:0, C18:1n-7, C18:1n-9, C18:2n-6, C18:3n-3, C18:3n-6, C20:0, C20:1n-9, C20:2n-6, C20:4n-6, C20:5n-3, C22:4n-6, C22:6n-3, C24:0 and C24:1n-9. Calibration models for FA groups were also developed. Calibrations based on the absolute FA content were more accurate than those based on the relative composition (%). The coefficients of determination of FA and FA groups (based on the absolute content) except C18:3n-6, C20:0, C20:2n-6 and C24:1n-9, were between 0.86 and 0.98 for calibration, and 0.83 and 0.97 for validation. The results indicate NIRS can be a feasible and rapid method for determination of FA with a mean concentration over 0.10 g/kg.     

The effect of rice variety and starch isolation method on the pasting and rheological properties of rice starch pastes

The effect of rice variety and starch isolation method on the pasting and rheological properties of rice starches was evaluated. One waxy and three non-waxy rice varieties from California with a range of amylose contents of 1.6–26.5% and four methods of isolation were evaluated. A rotational rheometer (RR) was used to measure the pasting and rheological properties of starch dispersions (8% w/w). The RR pasting curves had similar shapes to those from a rapid visco-analyzer (RVA). The four treatments used for isolating starch were a protease, NaOH (0.1% and 0.4%), or sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) (1.0%). The NaOH (0.4%) and SDS treatments were found to reduce the peak pasting temperatures of the non-waxy starches as compared with the protease and NaOH (0.1%) treatments. The same trend of the treatments was found with the elastic moduli, low shear viscosities, and yield stresses of the non-waxy starch pastes measured at 65 °C, immediately after pasting. The elastic moduli of the waxy starch pastes appeared to be least affected by method of starch isolation, but the low shear viscosity and yield stress of the protease starch paste was significantly higher than the paste from the other three treatments. Overall, the method of rice starch isolation was found to affect the gelatinization and rheological characteristics of hot rice starch paste.     

Using reflectance spectroscopy to predict beef tenderness

A study was conducted to determine if reflectance measurements made in the near-infrared region of the spectrum were additive to reflectance measurements made in the visible region of the spectrum for predicting Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF) values. Eighty seven strip loins were collected following fabrication over 3 d at a commercial beef processing facility from heifer carcasses with Slight or Traces marbling scores. Spectroscopic measurements were made at approximately 50 h postmortem using a Hunter-Lab UltraScan. Subsequently, all strip loins were aged for 14 d, cooked to an internal temperature of 70 °C, and sheared to obtain WBSF values. Reflectance measurements obtained in the near-infrared region of the spectrum were correlated with WBSF values, however, these measurements were not additive to the predictive ability of reflectance measurements (R² values did not differ) made in the visible portion of the spectrum when the use of broad-band wavelength filters were simulated. It was therefore determined, that both the visible and near-infrared spectra measure reflectance and that both methods are acceptable methods of tenderness prediction.     

Characterisation of sweetpotato from Papua New Guinea and Australia: Physicochemical,pasting and gelatinisation properties

The physicochemical and functional properties of flours from 25 Papua New Guinean and Australian sweetpotato cultivars were evaluated. The cultivars (white-, orange-, cream-, and purple-fleshed, and with dry matter, from 15 to 28 g/100 g), were obovate, oblong, elliptic, curved, irregular in shape, and essentially thin-cortexed (1–2 mm). Flour yield was less than 90 g/100 g solids, while starch, protein, amylose, water absorption and solubility indices, as well as total sugars, varied significantly (p < 0.05). Potassium, sodium, calcium, and phosphorus were the major minerals measured, and there were differences in the pasting properties, which showed four classes of shear-thinning and shear-thickening behaviours. Differential scanning calorimetry showed single-stage gelatinisation behaviour, with cultivar-dependent temperatures (61–84 °C) and enthalpies (12–27 J/g dry starch). Oval-, round- and angular-shaped granules were observed with a scanning electron microscope, while X-ray diffraction revealed an A-type diffraction pattern in the cultivars, with about 30% crystallinity. This study shows a wide range of sweetpotato properties, reported for the first time.     

Physicochemical properties of sweetpotato starch

Sweetpotato starch is high‐yielding, but has limited development and uses. In this study, physicochemical properties of sweetpotato starch from 11 representative genotypes with diverse geographic origins in China were characterized and showed wide variations. Apparent amylose contents measured by iodine binding ranged from 23.3 to 26.5%, by gel permeation chromatography after debranching from 17.5 to 23.9%, and true amylose content by concanavalin A binding from 15.9 to 22.5%. In vitro digestibility varied from 29.5 to 41.2%. Swelling power and water solubility index were highly correlated (r² = 0.88). Gelatinization peak temperature and enthalpy ranged from 75.4 to 79.7°C, and 7.6 to 13.6 J/g, respectively. Pasting peak and cold paste viscosities varied from 268 to 469 RVU, and 170 to 284 RVU. Amylose contents were highly correlated to digestibility, pasting, and thermal parameters.     

Prediction of pork quality using visible/near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy

Near-infrared spectroscopy is a rapid screening technique that may be used to determine meat quality traits. While several calibrations on meat quality parameters have been published, the accuracy and robustness of a calibration has rarely been validated with independent samples. In this study, in 207 loin muscles from three independent batches of pigs of different breeds drip loss, colour values, pH and intramuscular fat were determined. Calibrations were made from each combination of two batches and validated with the third batch. Validations of pH, intramuscular fat, drip loss, and L(?), a(?), and b(?) colour values had on average 1.27 times the accuracy of the calibration. Breed did not influence the accuracy of the calibration. Intramuscular fat can be determined with good accuracy. Muscle pH and colour values are reasonably well predicted. Drip loss can not be determined quantitatively with sufficient accuracy, but classification of quality groups is possible.     

追氮对夏玉米淀粉含量及其糊化特性的影响

以郑单958为材料,研究玉米随追氮量增加玉米籽粒淀粉含量、淀粉相关酶活性及其淀粉糊化特性的影响,研究结果表明玉米籽粒淀粉及直链淀粉含量随追氮量的增加先升高后略有下降;腺苷二磷酸葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶(ADPG-PPase)、尿苷二磷酸葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶(UDPG-PPase)及束缚态淀粉合成酶(GBSS)的活性随追氮量的增加先升高后降低。可溶性淀粉合成酶(SSS)的活性随追氮量的增加先降低后升高;随追氮量的增加淀粉的峰值黏度、低谷黏度、最终黏度及崩解值先升高后降低,峰值时间以及糊化温度先降低后升高。     

Effect of the extent of pasting on the dynamic rheological properties of acidified skim milk gels containing normal rice starch

The dynamic rheological behaviour of skim milk gels containing 2% normal rice starch granules pasted to different temperatures was investigated. The extent of swelling of the starch granules was also measured. It was found that the complex modulus G* was maximal when the starch granules were pasted to the temperature of maximum swelling and not to the temperature of maximum viscosity. It is suggested that, in these systems, the starch granules behave as inactive fillers and that their main effect is to increase the milk protein concentration during swelling by absorbing water from the continuous phase. A simple empirical model that agrees qualitatively well with the experimental results is proposed.     

甘蓝型油菜粒色近红外光谱分析模型构建

以306份甘蓝型油菜种子为研究材料,通过计算机图像处理技术筛选出最能反映油菜籽粒色变化的RGB色彩空间参数,并随机选择246份材料对粒色信息中的R（红色）值建立近红外光谱分析模型。在油菜粒色数字信息中,R值最能体现油菜籽粒色性状的变化情况,不同粒色等级对应样品的R值为：0级小于55、1级在55～100之间、2级在100～125之间、3级在125～140之间、4级在140～150之间、5级大于150。对R值构建NIRS分析模型,12种数学及光谱处理组合中最优模型的内部交叉检验相关系数为0.900;外部检验相关系数为0.831,检验偏差为2.147。说明利用RGB色彩空间下的R值构建粒色近红外光谱分析模型是可行的,该模型具有较高的稳定性和准确性,可以作为油菜种子粒色的定性和定量分析的依据。     

淀粉及其结构、性质对面条品质影响的研究进展

淀粉对面条感官品质、蒸煮品质、质构特性等有重要影响。该文就淀粉的种类、添加量对面条品质影响进行了概述,并总结了淀粉结构及特性在改善面条品质方面的作用,为进一步研究淀粉在面条加工中作用机理提供参考。     

Influence of milk proteins on the pasting behaviour and microstructural characteristics of waxy maize starch

Gelatinisation of 5 wt% waxy maize starch (WMS) under shear (16.8 s⁻¹), alone and in mixtures with 5 wt% α-lactalbumin (α-lac), β-lactoglobulin (β-lg), α-caseinate or β-caseinate, showed reinforcement of the starch granule structure by both caseinates, but not by the whey proteins (α-lac and β-lg). Reinforcement was evident from (i) later onset of increase in viscosity on heating; (ii) higher gelatinisation temperature by differential scanning calorimetry; (iii) micrographs showing reduced swelling during heating and in the final pastes obtained on cooling; and (iv) elimination of a characteristic “secondary swelling peak” observed for WMS immediately after completion of heating to 95 °C and attributed to fracture of a restricting layer of lipid and protein at the surface of the granules. A likely mechanism of reinforcement is binding of caseinate to the lipid–protein layer. Images from confocal laser scanning microscopy with fluorescent labelling of protein showed attachment of aggregated β-caseinate to the surface of WMS granules in mixtures that had been heated (under shear) to 70 °C. Corresponding images for mixtures with α-caseinate (which is less aggregated) showed penetration of protein to the interior of the granules, which would allow binding to occur on the inside of the surface layer as well as the outside. The inability of the more hydrophilic whey proteins to reinforce the WMS granules suggests that binding of caseinates to the lipid–protein layer occurs predominantly by hydrophobic association. The understanding that caseinates make gelatinised WMS granules smaller and tougher could be useful in product formulation.     

“Global” and “local” predictions of dairy diet nutritional quality using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy

The objective of the study was to evaluate performance of classic (global) and innovative (local) calibration techniques to monitor cattle diet, based on fecal near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). A 3-yr on-farm survey (2005-2008) was carried out in Vietnam and La Reunion Island to collect animal, feed intake, and feces excretion data. Feed and feces were scanned by a Foss NIRsystem 5000 monochromator (Foss, Hillerød, Denmark) to estimate diet characteristics and nutrient digestibility. A data set including 1,322 diet-fecal pairs was built and used to perform global and local calibrations. Global equations gave satisfactory accuracy [coefficient of determination (R²) >0.8, 10% ≤ relative standard error of prediction (RSEP) ≤20%], whereas local equations gave good accuracy (R² >0.8, RSEP <10%) or excellent accuracy (R² >0.9, RSEP <10%) for the prediction of diet intake, quality, and digestibility. When validating the equations using the external individual data, both techniques were robust, with similar RSEP (8%) and R² (0.82) values. The predictive performance of global and local equations was improved (RSEP = 5% and R² = 0.90) when averaged animal data from farm, visit, and similar milk production were used. In particular, local equations reduced RSEP by 43% and increased R² by 15%, on average, compared with those obtained from individual data. The low RSEP (4%), high R² (0.96), and good ratio performance deviation (RPD = 5) illustrated the excellent accuracy and robustness of the local equations. Findings suggest the ability of fecal NIRS to successfully and more accurately predict diet properties (intake, quality, and digestibility) with local calibration techniques compared with classic global techniques, especially on an averaged data set. Local calibration techniques represent an alternative promising method and potentially a decision support tool to decide whether diets meet dairy cattle requirements or need to be modified.     

无效变量消除法在油菜籽芥酸近红外无损速测中的应用

探索改善油菜籽芥酸近红外预测模型准确度与精密度的方法,利用无效变量消除法（UVE）,对135个油菜籽样品近红外光谱信号进行筛选,并利用筛选后的光谱对油菜籽芥酸含量进行偏最小二乘法交叉验证。结果表明,UVE法筛选变量后建立的芥酸校正模型对未知样品预测结果的准确度和速度显著优于全波长参与建立的芥酸校正模型。散射校正加一阶导数对光谱预处理,UVE法筛选变量,偏最小二乘法交叉验证建立的校正模型效果最好,其预测值与标准值的相关系数R达到0.92,交叉验证预测均方差为2.2。因此,用UVE进行波长选择后建立的近红外模型,能准确快速地对油菜籽芥酸含量进行定量分析。     

Time-resolved reflectance spectroscopy for non-destructive assessment of food quality

In the majority of most food and feed, visible, and near infrared light undergoes multiple scattering events and the overall light distribution is determined more by scattering rather than absorption due to the microscopic spatial changes in the refractive index. Conventional steady state reflectance spectroscopy can provide information on light attenuation, which depends both on light absorption and light scattering, but cannot separate these two effects. In contrast, time-resolved reflectance spectroscopy (TRS) allows more detailed optical characterization of diffusive media in terms of their absorption coefficient and reduced scattering coefficient. From the assessment of the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients, information can then be derived on the composition and internal structure of the medium. The main advantages of the technique are the absolute non-invasiveness, the potentiality for non-contact measurements and the capacity to probe internal properties with no influence from the skin. In this work we review the physical and technical issues related to the use of TRS for non-destructive quality assessment of fruit and vegetable. A laboratory system for broadband TRS, based on tunable mode-locked lasers and fast micro-channel plate photomultiplier and a portable set-up for TRS measurements, based on pulsed diode lasers and compact metal-channel photomultiplier, are described. Results on broadband optical characterization of fruits and applications of TRS to the detection of internal defects in pears and to maturity assessment in nectarines are presented. Conference: SPIE OPTICS EAST, 9–12 September 2007, Seaport World Trade Center, Boston, MA USA; Session: Optics for Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Foods II; Conference Chairs: Yud-Ren Chen, USDA Agricultural Research Service; George E. Meyer, Univ. of Nebraska/Lincoln; Shu-I Tu, USDA Agricultural Research Service.     

Prediction of lamb meat fatty acid composition using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS)

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) for predicting lamb meat fatty acid composition. We compared ground vs. intact non-ground meat samples to determine whether grinding and homogenisation of meat samples improved the performance of the predictions. We used 76 male lambs, of which 32 were pasture-fed and 44 stall-fed with concentrate and hay. The reflectance spectrum of Longissimus lumborum muscle was measured at wavelengths between 400 and 2500 nm. Predictions were better with ground than with intact muscle samples. NIRS accurately predicts several individual fatty acids (FA) (16:0, 18:0, 16:1 Δ9 cis, 17:1 Δ9 cis, 18:1 Δ9 cis, 18:1 Δ11 cis and 16:1 Δ9 trans) and several FA groups (total linear saturated FA, total branched saturated FA, total saturated FA, total cis monounsaturated FA (MUFA), total trans MUFA, total MUFA and total polyunsaturated PUFA). These results show the potential of NIRS as a rapid, and convenient tool to predict the major FA in lamb meat.