Although the spectral information
extracted fromthe loin eye region has a similar spectral pattern for all
pork grades, it shows different reflectance values for each quality
grade. This difference is clearly observed in the wavelength range
between 900 nm and 1400 nm. It was observed that DFD pork
samples (dry firm samples) had lower reflectance values (higher
absorbance) and the PSE samples (soft pork samples) had higher
reflectance values, while RFN pork samples had intermediate
reflectance values between DFD and PSE samples. This difference
observed in reflectance could be attributed to the difference in color
between the samples, as the dark DFD samples present lower color
values. Because the current NIR hyperspectral imaging system is not
covering the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum, the
difference in reflectance among pork grades could be ascribed to
sample softness rather than its color. Detailed investigations of
reflectance related to each chemical attribute could also help in better
understanding of how each quality parameter affects spectral
fingerprints of pork sam