Quantitative analysis and detection of adulteration in crab meat using visible and near-infrared spectroscopy

Visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (VIS/NIR) has been used to detect economic adulteration of crab meat samples. Atlantic blue and blue swimmer crab meat samples were adulterated with surimi-based imitation crab meat in 10% increments. Waveform evaluation revealed that the main features seen in the spectral data arise from water absorptions with a decrease in sample absorbance with increasing adulteration level. Prediction and quantitative analysis was done using raw data, a 15-point smoothing average, a first derivative, a second derivative, and 150 wavelength spectral data gathered from a correlogram. Regression analysis included partial least squares (PLS) and principal component analysis (PCR). Both models were able to perform similarly in predicting crab meat adulteration. The best model for both PLS and PCR used the first derivative spectral data gathered from the correlogram, with a standard error of prediction (SEP) of 0.252 and 0.244, respectively. The results suggest that VIS/NIR technology can be successfully used to detect adulteration in crab meat samples adulterated with surimi-based imitation crab meat.