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Red king crab (RKC) is one of the most widely distributed and well-known of all king crabs. The edible meat of the RKC is in the legs and claws and is considered a delicacy. Occasionally, the content of meat is low, and this is regarded as the single most negative quality attribute. In this study, we elucidated how rapid and non-destructive near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) on live RKCs can be used to predict the meat content in the cooked legs. A NIRS prototype (wavelength range 760–1080 nm) was used to obtain spectra from the interior tissue of the crab legs. 99 live crabs (380 legs) were measured over a 10-month period. Calibration models were developed with a prediction error for meat content of 6.4 %-points, which is accurate enough to classify the crabs into low (<80 %) and high meat content. The amount of cooked meat is proportional to the amount protein in the muscle. A limitation with the method is that it may overestimate the meat content if the legs have lost free water due to e.g. injuries in the exoskeleton. The technology described can facilitate a more sustainable RKC fishery and improve the subsequent trade and processing. • NIR spectroscopy is well suited for prediction of meat content in the legs of red king crabs. • Meat content in cooked legs is predicted based on NIR measurements on live crabs. • NIR calibrations relies mainly on the protein content in the leg biomass. • Measurements are performed without contact and takes 1–2 s. • The technology is highly needed in the king crab value chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dry matter (DM) content is one of the most important quality features of potatoes. It defines the physical properties of the potatoes and determines what kind of product the potatoes can be used for. This paper presents the results obtained by a novel prototype NIR (near-infrared) instrument designed to measure DM content in single potatoes in process. The instrument is based on interaction measurements to measure deeper into the potatoes. It measures rapidly, up to 50 measurements per second, allowing several moving potatoes to be measured per second. The instrument also enables several interactance distances to be recorded for each measurement. The instrument was calibrated based on three different potato varieties and the calibration measurements were done in a process plant, making the calibration model suitable for in-line use. A good calibration for DM was obtained by partial least squares regression (RMSECV = 0.78% DM, R2 = 0.91). The instrument was tested in-line in the process plant and several batches of potatoes were monitored for the estimation of the DM distribution per batch. Accuracy of DM determination as function of measurement position on the potato was studied, and results indicate that NIR scans along the center part of the potatoes give slightly better results compared to scans taken on either side of the center. Small differences in optical measurement geometry influence the accuracy of the calibration models, underlining the importance of optimizing instrument design for successful measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Interaction NIR spectroscopy is well suited for non-contact determination of total soluble solids in strawberries. • NIR interaction measurements are less affected by irrelevant fruit surface properties than reflection. • The method works well outside in the field with ambient daylight. • Measurement time is less than 1 sec. • Measurements in the 760 – 1080 nm region has a probing depth of about 6–7 mm into the strawberries. Autonomous field robots are being developed for picking of fruit, where each fruit needs to be individually graded and handled. There is therefore a need for rapid and non-destructive sensing to measure critical fruit quality parameters. In this article we report how total soluble solids (TSS), a measure for total sugar content, can be measured in strawberries in the field by non-contact near-infrared (NIR) interaction spectroscopy. A specially designed prototype system working in the wavelength range 760–1080 nm was tested for this purpose. This novel instrument was compared with a commercial handheld NIR reflection instrument working in the range 900–1600 nm. The instruments were calibrated in the lab using data collected from 200 strawberries of two varieties and tested in a strawberry field on 50 berries in 2022 and 100 berries in 2023. Both systems performed well during calibration with root mean square errors of cross validation for TSS around 0.49 % and 0.57 %, for interaction and reflection, respectively. For prediction of TSS in new berries in 2023, the interaction system was superior, with a prediction error of 1.0 % versus 8.1 % for the reflection system, most likely because interaction probes deeper into the berries. The results suggest that interaction measurements of average TSS are more robust and would most likely require less calibration maintenance compared to reflection measurements. The non-contact feature is important since it reduces the spread of diseases and physical damage to the berries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]