Hyperspectral Imaging Sensing of Changes in Moisture Content and Color of Beef During Microwave Heating Process

Abstract

Moisture content (MC) and color are two important quality parameters of beef during microwave heating process. This study examined the effects of microwave heating time (0–75 s) on MC, color, and myoglobins of beef samples. The results showed that heating time significantly influenced the MC, color (L*, a*), and percentage of related myoglobins. The suitability of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) (400–1000 nm) was investigated to correlate the mean spectra of beef samples and the color and MC values during microwave treatment. After the use of pre-processing methods and optimum wavelengths selection, the SG-SPA-LS-SVM prediction model for MC (R2P = 0.869, RMSEP = 1.304, and RPD = 2.724) and the SG-RC-MLR model for a* (R2P = 0.890, RMSEP = 0.735, and RPD = 2.733) were established. The models were then used to develop the distribution maps of MC and a* values, respectively, showing that both MC and a* at the center of the meat slices were higher than those at the edge, corresponding to the temperature distribution during microwave heating. The results demonstrated the ability of HSI system for monitoring the changes of some quality parameters during microwave heating.