Rapid classification of intact chicken breast fillets by predicting principal component score of quality traits with visible/near-Infrared spectroscopy.

In this study visible/near-infrared spectroscopy (Vis/NIRS) was evaluated to rapidly classify intact chicken breast fillets. Five principal components (PC) were extracted from reference quality traits (L, pH, drip loss, expressible fluid, and salt-induced water gain). A quality grades classification method by PC score was proposed. With this method, 150 chicken fillets were properly classified into three quality grades, i.e., DFD (dark, firm and dry), normal, and PSE (pale, soft and exudative). Furthermore, PC score could be predicted using partial least squares regression (PLSR) model based on Vis/NIRS (Rp = 0.78, RPD = 1.9), without the measurement of any quality traits. Thresholds of PC classification method were applied to classify the predicted PC score values of each fillet into three quality grades. The classification accuracy of calibration and prediction set were 85% and 80%, respectively. Results revealed that PC score classification method is feasible, and with Vis/NIRS, this method could be rapidly implemented.