Exploring the use of portable infrared spectroscopy as a quality assurance tool for the Australian Native/Traditional food industry: a case study on finger lime (Citrus australasica)

Abstract

Finger limes (Citrus australasica) are an Australian native and traditional food that are known for their caviar-like pearls often referred to as “Citrus Caviar”. This study aimed to spectrally characterise finger lime varieties sourced across South-East Queensland and Northern New South Wales. The varieties investigated demonstrated a wide diversity in their phenotypic appearance; however, their infrared spectra were similar. The NIR spectra of the samples were collected using a portable instrument and the data analysed using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) regression. Differences in the PCA score plot were observed associated with the different varieties analysed. The cross-validation statistics obtained for the prediction of adulteration of finger with Tahitian lime were R2CV and SECV 0.96% and 7%, respectively (using 8 PLS factors), using PLS regression. This study demonstrated that a portable handheld NIR instrument is able to identify finger lime varieties using both whole fruits and the corresponding peel samples. This study also showed that NIR was able to identify the level of adulteration of finger lime with Tahitian lime.