Prediction of stable isotopes and fatty acids in subcutaneous fat of Iberian pigs by means of NIR: A comparison between benchtop and portable systems.

The potential of a portable Near Infrared spectrophotometer compared with that of NIR benchtop equipment is assessed to determine theC/C relationship of stable isotopes and the fatty acid content. 105 samples of subcutaneous fat of Iberian pigs collected at the time of their slaughter have been analyzed. The analysis of stable isotopes and gas chromatography were the methods of reference used. The samples were analyzed without prior handling (portable and benchtop NIR) and after extracting the fat (benchtop NIR). The results show that with the portable equipment it is possible to determine δC (‰), 12 fatty acids, and 5 summations of fatty acids (SFA, MUFA, PUFA, w3, and w6), while with the benchtop NIR equipment it is possible to measure δC (‰), 16 fatty acids, and the 5 summationsof fatty acids. The correlation coefficients of the portable equipment were slightly lower than those of the NIR benchtop equipment.