Development of NIR-HSI and chemometrics process analytical technology for drying of beef jerky

Beef jerky samples immersed in brine or water, both with and without ultrasound treatment were dried at 60 °C for 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210 240 min. Drying behaviour was evaluated using ten drying kinetic models hyperspectral imaging. All reached water activity values (Aw) < 0.85 during the first 90 min of drying. Moisture content (MC) beef predicted near infrared imaging chemometrics. Partial least squares regression, band selection spectral pre-treatments applied to develop MC prediction spectra. Most developed this work had RPD >4, indicating their suitability process control applications. The best performing non-ultrasound treated ensemble Monte Carlo variable (EMCVS) on second derivative log(1/R) spectra EMCVS-selectivity ratio linear detrended log (1/R) spectra, respectively. This study demonstrated potential NIR-HSI chemometrics as a PAT tool jerky.