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Non-destructive detection for soluble solids content (SSC) is important to improve watermelon’s internal quality, which attracts more and more attention from consumers. In order to realize the precise detection for SSC of mini watermelon’s whole surface by using Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and reduce the influence of detective position variability on the accuracy of NIR prediction model for SSC, the diffused transmission spectra and soluble solids content were collected from three different detective positions of ‘jingxiu’ watermelon, including the equator, calyx and stem. The prediction models of single detective position and mixed three detective positions for SSC were established with Partial least square (PLS). Successive projections algorithm (SPA) and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) were adopted to select effective variables of NIR spectroscopy for SSC of watermelon as well. The results showed that the prediction model of mixed three detective positions was better than the model of single detective position. Meanwhile, 42 characteristic variables of NIR spectroscopy selected with CARS were used to establish PLS prediction model for SSC. The prediction model was simplified significantly and the prediction accuracy for SSC was improved greatly. The correlation coefficient of prediction (RP) and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) by CARS-PLS were 0.892, 0.684 °Brix for the equator, 0.905, 0.621 °Brix for the calyx, 0.899, 0.721 °Brix for the stem, respectively. However, the prediction result of SPA-PLS established by 19 characteristic wavelength variables of NIR spectroscopy was bad for the equator, calyx and stem detective positions. The correlation coefficient of prediction (RP) is less than 0.752 and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) is relatively high. It was proposed that the PLS prediction model established by mixed three different detective positions with effective characteristic wavelength variables selected by CARS can improve the prediction accuracy for SSC. And the CARS-PLS prediction model can achieve fast and precise detection for SSC of mini watermelon’s whole surface. The influence of detective position variability on the accuracy of NIR prediction model could be reduced simultaneously. This paper could provide theoretical basis for calibrating NIR prediction model for SSC of mini watermelon. It also could provide reference for developing the portable and non-destructive detection equipment for soluble solids content of mini watermelon’s whole surface.

The quality and safety of fruits and vegetables are the most concerns of consumers. Chemical analytical methods are traditional inspection methods which are time-consuming and labor intensive destructive inspection techniques. With the rapid development of imaging technique and spectral technique, hyperspectral imaging technique has been widely used in the nondestructive inspection of quality and safety of fruits and vegetables. Hyperspectral imaging integrates the advantages of traditional imaging and spectroscopy. It can obtain both spatial and spectral information of inspected objects. Therefore, it can be used in either external quality inspection as traditional imaging system, or internal quality or safety inspection as spectroscopy. In recent years, many research papers about the nondestructive inspection of quality and safety of fruits and vegetables by using hyperspectral imaging have been published, and in order to introduce the principles of nondestructive inspection and track the latest research development of hyperspectral imaging in the nondestructive inspection of quality and safety of fruits and vegetables, this paper reviews the principles, developments and applications of hyperspectral imaging in the external quality, internal quality and safety inspection of fruits and vegetables. Additionally, the basic components, analytical methods, future trends and challenges are also reported or discussed in this paper.