Rapid Profiling of Flour with Near-Infrared Spectral Sensing and Chemometrics
摘要
This pilot study aims to rapidly and non-destructively screen flours based on key nutraceutical indicators such as fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. It has industrial relevance for both high-throughput online screening and occasional at-line sampling and testing. The study analyzed 47 commercially available flours from cereals, legumes, tubers, and others, each with varying nutraceutical values. Using the SpectraPod™ pocket-sized near-infrared spectral sensor, we measured the flour reflectance spectra. Chemometric processing of the spectroscopic data allowed us to classify flours into two fat classes with 98% accuracy and three classes for carbohydrates and proteins, each with 89% accuracy.