Application of FT- IR spectroscopy to Estimate the Quality of Plant Foods

Fruits and vegetables contain very important nutrients, which prevent us from several diseases. Cold storage causes a significant decrease in these important nutrients (Such as Antioxidants and Vitamin C), During cold storage certain chemical reaction causes changes in the molecular structure of the food. In this study, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) (400–4000 cm-1) was carried out to explore the possibility of using this technique coupled with Discriminant Analysis (Chemometrics) to differentiate fresh from cold-stored plant foods. In this study, we were successfully able to differentiate fresh tomato samples from those cold stored with an accuracy of 93.5% for correct identification and classification. With the required time and study, this technique could be a possibility of authenticating the freshness of various different plant foods of different origins.