Packaging influence in non-destructive analysis of fresh-cut salad leaves and apple slices by vis/NIR and NIR spectroscopy

In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in the consumption of fresh-cut or minimally processed fruit and vegetables. The shelf life of fresh cut products is shorter than unprocessed ones and therefore rapid and non-destructive methods to investigate the freshness decay, during or at the end of the distribution chain, should be developed. The implementation of non-destructive monitoring directly at the point of sale should be a guarantee for the consumer and in this case may require measurements not directly of the product but through the packaging. The aim of this work was to investigate the applicability of visible-near infrared (vis/NIR) and near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for evaluating the packaging influence on the measurements during the freshness decay monitoring of fresh-cut salad and apple slices. The quality decay of samples during shelf life was evaluated acquiring vis/NIR and NIR spectra on the same samples directly in contact with the surface of leaves or slices and through the packaging, respectively.