The objective of the current study was to analyze and develop some important automation steps in a
superchilling process line. In order to control the product quality there is a need for online measurements
of ice fraction and distribution in inhomogeneous products. Moreover, automatic handling of such superchilled
products is currently commercially unavailable. The current study presents a new method for
monitoring and handling superchilled product of varying form and consistency. Observation of the shift
in the water absorption peak, measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) transflection mode, was
used to determine the ice level in superchilled salmon, scanning approximately 1.5 cm into the fillets.
The salmon fillets were stored on ice at 0 C for 5–7 days before superchilling at 24 C to target ice contents
of 10%, 15% and 30%. Online NIR measurements of ice fraction showed promising results, with a low
prediction error of 2.5%. The storage study confirmed former quality results with a microbiological shelf
life of 15–17 days with only minor differences in values for drip loss and water-holding capacity between
superchilled and chilled samples.