A Review of the Application of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for the Analysis of Potatoes

Abstract

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most important crops in the world being considered as a staple food in many developing countries. The potato industry like other vegetable and fruit industries is subject to the current demand of quality products. In order to meet this challenge, the food industry is relying on the adoption of nondestructive and environmentally friendly techniques to determine quality of products. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is currently one of the most advanced nondestructive technologies regarding instrumentation and application, and it also complies with the environment requirements as it does not generate emissions or waste. This paper reviews research progress on the analysis of potatoes by NIRS both in terms of determination of constituents and classification according to the different constituents of the tubers. A brief description of the fundamentals of NIRS technology and its advantages over other quality assessment techniques is included. Finally, future prospects of the development of NIRS technology at the industrial level are explored.

Phytochemicals determination and classification in purple and red fleshed potato tubers by analytical methods and near infrared spectroscopy

“…Nevertheless, these findings are of great importance considering the continuously increasing demand for quality control of food products among consumers and authorities. 65 The outcome of this study could be considered as a screening step for future potato breeding programmes. Further research is advisable including a larger set of samples comprising not only coloured varieties but yellow skin tuber as well.…”

Hydrogen‐bonding Structures and Energetics of Acrylamide Isomers, Tautomers, and Dimers: An ab initio Study and Spectral Analysis

“…The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified acrylamide as a probable carcinogen to humans based on the results of its administration to laboratory animals, although the exact mechanism or the direct relation between acrylamide and the tumor growth has not been clarified . Recently, significantly high levels of acrylamide have been detected in overheated plant‐based food products, including potato chips, coffees, French fries, cereals, and breads . In these food products, acrylamide appears to form from the reaction of reducing sugars (e.g., glucose and fructose) and asparagine (an amino acid) during high‐temperature cooking processes such as frying, baking, and roasting.…”

Towards on-line prediction of dry matter content in whole unpeeled potatoes using near-infrared spectroscopy

“…These studies have, however, often been restricted to homogenized samples like potato pulp, sliced potatoes and cooked potato mash [10]. The prediction of dry matter content in such samples is highly accurate, as the water is sensitively probed [10].…”

“…These studies have, however, often been restricted to homogenized samples like potato pulp, sliced potatoes and cooked potato mash [10]. The prediction of dry matter content in such samples is highly accurate, as the water is sensitively probed [10]. Haase and co-workers [11,12] obtained a coefficient of determination (R 2 ) around 0.98 for prediction of dry matter content of potato pulp.…”

“…Also the starch content, which is closely correlated with dry matter content in potatoes, can be predicted with high accuracy in homogenized samples using NIR. Minor constituents like sugars are generally reported to yield lower prediction performance [10], although some authors have achieved decent predictions (R 2 ¼0.82) of total reducing sugar content in homogenized [13].…”