Rapid assessment of vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) quality parameters using portable near-infrared spectroscopy combined with random forest

• Published in: Journal of food composition and analysis Vol. 133; p. 106346
• Main Authors: Widyaningrum, Purwanto, Yohanes Aris, Widodo, Slamet, Supijatno, Iriani, Evi Savitri
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.09.2024
• Subjects: Moisture and vanillin content; NIR spectroscopy; Portable instruments; Random forest; Vanilla quality; Random forest; Moisture and vanillin content; Portable instruments; NIR spectroscopy; Vanilla quality
• ISSN: 0889-1575; 1096-0481
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2024.106346

The determination of moisture and vanillin content significantly influences the quality of vanilla. Currently, conventional chemical methods employed for assessing these parameters are time-consuming, involve complex sample preparation, are expensive, and environmentally unfriendly due to the use of chemical solutions. Portable Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy emerges as a promising alternative, characterized by smaller dimensions and lower costs. This study investigates the performance of two portable NIR spectrometers with distinct wavelengths at 740–1070 nm and 1350–2550 nm, in conjunction with Random Forest (RF) and Partial Least Square (PLS) regression, and preprocessing techniques including min-max normalization, 1st derivative, standard normal variate (SNV), multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), 1st derivative + SNV, and 1st derivative + MSC for predicting moisture and vanillin content. At the wavelength range of 1350–2550 nm, RF coupled with 1st derivative produced the best moisture content prediction model with an R2 of 0.971, and RF paired with 1st derivative+SNV yielded the best vanillin content prediction with an R2 of 0.983. This work highlights that the integration of portable NIR and RF allows for rapid and non-destructive detection of moisture and vanillin content. This methodology provides a novel regression method for predicting vanilla qualities. [Display omitted] •Portable NIR were used for moisture and vanillin content assessment in vanilla.•Comparison between two portable spectrometers at different wavelength ranges.•Predictive performance of Partial Least Square and Random Forest was evaluated.•Random Forest outperformed conventional approaches in outcome reliability.