Spectral pattern study of citrus black rot caused by Alternaria alternata and selecting optimal wavelengths for decay detection

Non-Destructive Evaluation of the Physiochemical Properties of Milk Drink Flavored with Date Syrup Utilizing VIS-NIR Spectroscopy and ANN Analysis

A milk drink flavored with date syrup produced at a lab scale level was evaluated. The production process of date syrup involves a sequence of essential unit operations, commencing with the extraction, filtration, and concentration processes from two cultivars: Sukkary and Khlass. Date syrup was then mixed with cow's and camel's milk at four percentages to form a nutritious, natural, sweet, and energy-rich milk drink. The sensory, physical, and chemical characteristics of the milk drinks flavored with date syrup were examined. The objective of this work was to measure the physiochemical properties of date fruits and milk drinks flavored with date syrup, and then to evaluate the physical properties of milk drinks utilizing non-destructive visible-near-infrared spectra (VIS-NIR). The study assessed the characteristics of the milk drink enhanced with date syrup by employing VIS-NIR spectra and utilizing a partial least-square regression (PLSR) and artificial neural network (ANN) analysis. The VIS-NIR spectra proved to be highly effective in estimating the physiochemical attributes of the flavored milk drink. The ANN model outperformed the PLSR model in this context. RMSECV is considered a more reliable indicator of a model's future predictive performance compared to RMSEC, and the R2 value ranged between 0.946 and 0.989. Consequently, non-destructive VIS-NIR technology demonstrates significant promise for accurately predicting and contributing to the entire production process of the product's properties examined.

NIR Spectroscopy Assessment of Quality Index of Fermented Milk (Laban) Drink Flavored with Date Syrup during Cold Storage

Fermented milk (laban) with added date syrup can be an excellent candidate for a nutritious drink. Modeling with quality index (Qi) can assist in assessing the quality of the drink’s physiochemical properties. The properties of the laban drink fortified with date syrup were measured and modeled with Qi during shelf life (7 days), and then analyzed with near-infrared spectra (NIR). The aim of this study was to develop a quality index model for the laban drink properties (objective and sensory assessments) and then to predict Qi with a non-destructive measurement of NIR (with partial least-square regression (PLSR) and artificial neural network (ANN) analysis). The results revealed that the developed Qi fits well with measured laban drink properties (viscosity, color, total soluble solids, pH, and sensory assessments during the shelf-life period with R2 = 0.977). The NIR spectrum was efficient to estimate the quality index of the fortified laban drink. It was found that ANN is more appropriate than the PLSR model in estimating the Qi of the Laban drink during cold storage. Thus, non-destructive NIR can predict Qi and can be utilized with great success in the whole chain of production, processing, transportation, storage, and retail market to check the “quality” and “shelf life” of the product.