Novel, non-destructive cereal quality analysis: potential for triticale

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, NIR hyperspectral imaging and X-ray computed technology (XCT) can each in its own way contribute to the effective analysis of whole grain triticale. With NIR spectroscopy only giving an average result, NIR hyperspectral imaging gives spatial as well as spectral information of a sample. Chemical information as well as the localisation of the chemical compounds is thus obtained. XCT advanced on these two techniques in that it allows three dimensional (3D) visualisation of the internal structure of a sample. The availability of X-ray microcomputed tomography (microCT) instruments and now also nanoCT instruments allow high resolution images of the microstructure of samples to be obtained. These techniques, reviewed in this paper, can be used in association, each with their own advantages and disadvantages, to most effectively analyse whole grain triticale.