Application of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy using a fibre optic probe to determine the composition of DOP dry-cured ham.

摘要

This study evaluated the potential for the use of an NIR instrument equipped with a fibre-optic probe for determination of the compositional parameters of dry-cured Parma ham. Two hundred and twenty samples with different ageing times were analysed, with readings carried out directly on the freshly deboned and sectioned sample in the Biceps femoris muscle. The error associated with the determination of each parameter was found to be higher than that observed with the conventional NIR instrument, which is based on a homogenised sample, but a comparison by t-test showed that the data from the NIR instrument with the probe do not differ from those obtained using conventional analytical methods. The use of the probe allows the combination of the speed of analysis times typical of NIR with the advantage of keeping the ham intact for commercialisation.