Modern Safety Control for Meat Products: Near Infrared Spectroscopy Utilised for Detection of Contaminations and Adulterations of Premium Veal Products

Abstract

This article gives insights into the development of a modern "green analytical technique" based on near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to detect harmful frauds or accidental contaminations with pork and pork fat in processed veal products. A project carried out at the Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Radiochemistry of the University of Innsbruck led to promising results in the field of food safety and control. The aim of the project was to develop quick and reliable methods for different fields of application based on non-destructive NIR spectroscopy. In this connection, three specialised techniques were successfully developed, each using an individual instrumental setup and data evaluation process. Methods suited for accurate laboratory measurements (benchtop instrument), ready for in-and at-line applications or high-throughput-analyses (utilising a fibre optic probe) and a method characterised by flexibility and user friendliness with the ability to perform on-site analyses (handheld spectrometer) were developed within the scope of this project. It was possible to detect contamination with pork as well as contamination with pork fat from 50% w/w down to 10% w/w in handmade veal sausages. Satisfying results were achieved even for additional measurements in which spectra were recorded directly through a polymer packaging. A limit of detection of 3% w/w was found for analyses of pure minced veal samples contaminated with pork.

Novel Molecular Spectroscopic Multimethod Approach for Monitoring Water Absorption/Desorption Kinetics of CAD/CAM Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Prosthodontics

“…Due to the high activity of water in the NIR region, measuring techniques using overtone and combination bands have been applied in various fields: From investigations of changes in biological systems applying ''Aquaphotomics'' to quality control of pharmaceuticals and different foods. [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40] Furthermore, many studies already proved the suitability of NIR spectroscopy for investigating polymers in terms of monitoring the polymerization process itself, monomeric content and water absorption or water inclusions. [41][42][43] In ATR-IR spectroscopy, the polymeric sample is pressed onto an internal reflection element (IRE) so that the evanescent field penetrates at least a few micrometers into the polymer of interest showing high signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio.…”

Non-Destructive Measuring Systems for the Evaluation of High Oxygen Stored Poultry: Development of Headspace Gas Composition, Sensory and Microbiological Spoilage

“…Measurement systems based on IR are also well studied for the quality determination of food and already packaged foodstuffs. Schmutzler et al, for example, studied the adulteration of veal sausage with pork products, using different near-infrared (NIR) devices in 2016 [ 16 ]. When light is used in the NIR and mid-infrared (MIR) range, vibrational states of the molecules are excited; in the far-infrared (FIR), IR radiation leads to the excitation of rotational states [ 17 ].…”

Calibration Transfer of Soil Total Carbon and Total Nitrogen between Two Different Types of Soils Based on Visible-Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy

“…Spectral analysis is fast, accurate, and nondestructive, and it can provide rich material information [1][2][3]; thus, it is widely used in many fields [4][5][6][7][8][9]. In agriculture, soil nutrients have been successfully predicted by the spectral model, which is established by the known soils sampled in the same sites and under the same environment [10][11][12][13][14].…”