Advancement of non-destructive spectral measurements for the quality of major tropical fruits and vegetables: a review

Authors: ALINE, UMUHOZA - Chungnam National University; BHATTACHARYA, TANIMA - Chungnam National University; FAQEERZADA, MOHAMMAD AKBAR - Chungnam National University; Kim, Moon; Baek, Insuck; CHO, BYOUNG-KWAN - Chungnam National University

Submitted to: Frontiers in Plant Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/27/2023
Publication Date: 8/16/2023
Citation: Aline, U., Bhattacharya, T., Faqeerzada, M., Kim, M.S., Baek, I., Cho, B. 2023. Advancement of non-destructive spectral measurements for the quality of major tropical fruits and vegetables: a review. Frontiers in Plant Science. 14:1240361. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1240361.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1240361

Interpretive Summary: Rapid, reliable, and cost-effective quality assurance methods for fresh produce products have become increasingly important worldwide due to the expanding demands in consumption of healthy fresh foods, including popular and sometimes easily damaged or perishable tropical fruits and vegetables. An overview of the current state-of -the-art non-destructive spectral methods for evaluating the quality of major tropical fruits and vegetables is presented. In addition, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) were used to assess the external and internal quality parameters of tropical fruits and vegetables. External quality characteristics such as size, shape, color, and external defects were measured more efficiently by HSI than by other spectroscopic techniques for numerous tropical fruits and vegetables. This review presents insightful information to commercial fruit and produce processing companies seeking non-destructive quality control methods for tropical fruits and vegetables.

Technical Abstract: The quality of tropical fruits and vegetables and the expanding global interest in eating healthy foods have resulted in the continual development of reliable, quick, and cost-effective quality assurance methods. In the present review, we discuss the advancement of non-destructive spectral measurements for evaluating the quality of major tropical fruits and vegetables. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) were used to assess the external and internal quality parameters of tropical fruits and vegetables. External quality characteristics such as size, shape, color, and external defects were measured more efficiently by HSI than by other spectroscopic techniques for numerous tropical fruits and vegetables. All of the techniques effectively detected internal parameters such as total soluble solids (TSS), soluble solid content (SSC), and moisture content, with the exception of NIR, which was found to have limited penetration depth for fruits and vegetables with thick rinds or skins. The advancement of spectral measurements combined with machine learning and deep learning technologies have increased the potential of spectral measurement methods for delivering accurate and efficient quality assessments of tropical fruits and vegetables.