Non-destructive NIR measurement of cherry fruit for evaluation of sugar concentration

The NIR technique is widely used for non-destructive measurement of perishable foods and crops for evaluation of freshness, moisture, sugar, protein or fat content, etc. In this application, the correlation between the sugar concentration of cherry fruits (Sato-Nishiki; a Japanese brand) and the NIR spectrum was evaluated. A good correlation between the two parameters was confirmed with the PLS (Partial Least Square) chemometric model as obtained using the NIR spectrum and sugar concentrations examined using a saccharimeter.