Optimization of Instrument Design for In-Line Monitoring of Dry Matter Content in Single Potatoes by NIR Interaction...

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Engineering
• Food Science
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Dry matter (DM) content is a critical potato quality attribute, influencing processing suitability and final product characteristics.
• Accurate and rapid DM measurement is essential for effective process control in the potato industry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a novel prototype near-infrared (NIR) instrument for in-line, single-potato DM content measurement.
• To assess the instrument's calibration, accuracy, and suitability for industrial potato processing applications.

Main Methods:

• Development of a prototype NIR instrument utilizing interactance measurements for deeper penetration into potatoes.
• Calibration of the NIR instrument using partial least squares regression on three potato varieties under process plant conditions.
• In-line testing and monitoring of potato batches to estimate DM distribution and assess measurement position accuracy.

Main Results:

• Achieved a robust calibration model for DM with a cross-validation error (RMSECV) of 0.78% DM and R² of 0.91.
• Demonstrated the instrument's capability for rapid, in-line measurement (up to 50 measurements/second).
• Identified that NIR scans along the center of potatoes yield slightly better DM determination accuracy.

Conclusions:

• The novel NIR instrument provides a viable solution for rapid, in-line DM content measurement in potatoes.
• Optimizing instrument design and measurement geometry is crucial for maximizing the accuracy of NIR-based DM calibration models.
• This technology supports real-time quality control and process optimization in potato handling and processing.