In view of the present findings, it may be concluded that the NIR
technique could provide an exceptional opportunity for the quality
control of Iberian dry-cured sausages. Although further work is still
needed to improve calibration statistics, the present study gives a
first approximation to the feasibility of the prediction of major constituents
and/or a classification of products based on their fatty
acid profiles rapidly whilst avoiding the generation of chemical
residues. Probably, future NIR models could also be used to estimate
shelf life of products and to include extra nutritional information
in their labelling.