Abstract
This research demonstrates simultaneous predictions of individual and total sugars in breakfast cereals using a novel, handheld near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic sensor. This miniaturized, battery-operated unit based on Fourier Transform (FT)-NIR was used to collect spectra from both ground and intact breakfast cereal samples, followed by real-time wireless data transfer to a commercial tablet for chemometric processing. A total of 164 breakfast cereal samples (60 store-bought and 104 provided by a snack food company) were tested. Reference analysis for the individual (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) and total sugar contents used high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Chemometric prediction models were generated using partial least square regression (PLSR) by combining the HPLC reference analysis data and FT-NIR spectra, and associated calibration models were externally validated through an independent data set. These multivariate models showed excellent correlation (Rpre ≥ 0.93) and low standard error of prediction (SEP ≤ 2.4 g/100 g) between the predicted and the measured sugar values. Analysis results from the FT-NIR data, confirmed by the reference techniques, showed that eight store-bought cereal samples out of 60 (13%) were not compliant with the total sugar content declaration. The results suggest that the FT-NIR prototype can provide reliable analysis for the snack food manufacturers for on-site analysis.
Highlights
The global breakfast cereal market was valued at more than USD 37 billion in 2016 and is estimated to reach USD 51 billion value in 2023 [1,2,3]
The focus of this paper is to demonstrate the capabilities of a novel Fourier Transform (FT)-NIR system developed at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
The maximum sugar content, mainly the sucrose and the total sugar, total sugar, exhibited higher sugar levels in the purchased samples than those provided by industry exhibited higher sugar levels in the purchased samples than those provided by industry (Table 1)
Summary
The global breakfast cereal market was valued at more than USD 37 billion in 2016 and is estimated to reach USD 51 billion value in 2023 [1,2,3]. Breakfast cereals are widely consumed worldwide because they are easay to prepare while providing essential micronutrients, including folic acid, vitamin C, iron, zinc, fibers, and, potentially, antioxidants and phytoestrogens [4]. Sci. 2020, 10, 8774 amount of sugar added to some products can increase the risk of obesity and diabetes [4,5] while reducing the overall nutritional quality of breakfast cereal [6]. According to the FDA, the difference between the laboratory analysis and the amount declared on the nutrition facts panel must be within
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