NIR Spectroscopy and Imaging Techniques for Evaluation of Fish Quality—A Review

Abstract

Fish is a highly perishable product and it is particularly important to pay attention to its quality changes. Maintenance of the high quality of fish and fishery products necessitates development of means for precise and rapid quality evaluation. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and imaging techniques are proven technologies that can provide useful information for the estimation of quality attributes in fish and fishery products due to fast speed, noninvasiveness, ease of use, and minimal sample preparation. The aim of this review is to communicate perspectives and aspects relating to NIR spectroscopy and imaging techniques with regard to evaluation of chemical composition (fat, protein, and moisture), microbiological (freshness, spoilage, and nematodes), and sensory (flavor, texture, and color) attributes of fish and fishery products. Moreover, the usefulness of NIR spectroscopy and imaging techniques for fish authentication and classification are presented. Finally, some viewpoints on the current situation and suggestions for future research directions are proposed.

Keywords:

• Fish quality
• NIR spectroscopy
• imaging
• chemical composition
• microbiological
• sensory
• authentication

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support received from the China Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme. The authors are also grateful to the Guangdong Province Government (China) for support through the program “Leading Talent of Guangdong Province (Da-Wen Sun).”