Exploring the Potential of Fluorescence Spectroscopy for the Discrimination between Fresh and Frozen-Thawed Muscle Foods

Substitution of frozen-thawed food products for fresh ones is a significant authenticity issue being extensively investigated over the past few years by various conventional methods, but little success has been achieved. Fluorescence spectroscopy is a sensitive and selective spectroscopic technique that has been widely applied recently to deal with various food quality and authenticity issues. The technique is based on the excitation of certain photosensitive components (known as fluorophores) to fluoresce in the UV and visible spectral ranges. Fluorescence spectroscopy can be performed to obtain simple classical two-dimensional fluorescence spectra (excitation/emission), synchronous or three-dimensional excitation–emission matrices (excitation/emission/fluorescence signal). The technique can be used in front-face or right-angle configurations and can be even combined with hyperspectral imaging, requiring the use of multivariate data analysis to extract useful information. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in applications of fluorescence spectroscopy to differentiate truly fresh foods from frozen-thawed products. The basics of the technique will be briefly presented and some relevant examples, focusing especially on fish and meat products, will be given. It is believed that interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers working with data analysis and spectroscopy, as well as industry and regulatory authorities would help to overcome the current shortcomings, holding the great promise of fluorescence spectroscopy for fighting food fraud in the food industry.

[1]  Marco Tartagni,et al.  Sensing Technology for Fish Freshness and Safety: A Review , 2021, Sensors.

[2]  Pengcheng Nie,et al.  Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) Technology for the Non-Destructive Freshness Assessment of Pearl Gentian Grouper under Different Storage Conditions , 2021, Sensors.

[3]  Abdo Hassoun,et al.  Front face fluorescence spectroscopy enables rapid differentiation of fresh and frozen-thawed sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) fillets , 2017 .

[4]  Jun-Hu Cheng,et al.  Integration of classifiers analysis and hyperspectral imaging for rapid discrimination of fresh from cold-stored and frozen-thawed fish fillets , 2015 .

[5]  C. Guglielmetti,et al.  Two-dimensional gel and shotgun proteomics approaches to distinguish fresh and frozen-thawed curled octopus (Eledone cirrhosa). , 2018, Journal of proteomics.

[6]  Jorge Freitas,et al.  Quality Index Method for fish quality control: Understanding the applications, the appointed limits and the upcoming trends , 2021 .

[7]  Jianrong Li,et al.  Effects of ultrasonics combined with far infrared or microwave thawing on protein denaturation and moisture migration of Sciaenops ocellatus (red drum). , 2019, Ultrasonics sonochemistry.

[8]  G. Biancotto,et al.  New strategies for the differentiation of fresh and frozen/thawed fish: A rapid and accurate non-targeted method by ambient mass spectrometry and data fusion (part A) , 2021 .

[9]  Yituo Zhang,et al.  Comparisons of Fish Morphology for Fresh and Frozen-Thawed Crucian Carp Quality Assessment by Hyperspectral Imaging Technology , 2018, Food Analytical Methods.

[10]  B. Kong,et al.  Deterioration in quality of quick-frozen pork patties induced by changes in protein structure and lipid and protein oxidation during frozen storage. , 2020, Food research international.

[11]  B. Sturm,et al.  Effect of maturation and freezing on quality and drying kinetics of beef , 2017 .

[12]  F. Geobaldo,et al.  Differentiation between Fresh and Thawed Cephalopods Using NIR Spectroscopy and Multivariate Data Analysis , 2021, Foods.

[13]  J. Simal-Gándara,et al.  Emerging Techniques for Differentiation of Fresh and Frozen–Thawed Seafoods: Highlighting the Potential of Spectroscopic Techniques , 2020, Molecules.

[14]  F. Delalande,et al.  Differentiation between fresh and frozen-thawed sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) fillets using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. , 2015, Food chemistry.

[15]  Da-Wen Sun,et al.  Advanced Techniques for Hyperspectral Imaging in the Food Industry: Principles and Recent Applications. , 2019, Annual review of food science and technology.

[16]  Jens Petter Wold,et al.  From multispectral imaging of autofluorescence to chemical and sensory images of lipid oxidation in cod caviar paste. , 2014, Talanta.

[17]  Bernd Hitzmann,et al.  Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Chemometric Modeling for Bioprocess Monitoring , 2015, Sensors.

[18]  G. Nychas,et al.  Rapid detection of frozen-then-thawed minced beef using multispectral imaging and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. , 2018, Meat science.

[19]  T. Grard,et al.  Rapid Multiparameters Approach to Differentiate Fresh Skinless Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) Fillets from Frozen-Thawed Ones , 2019, Journal of Aquatic Food Product Technology.

[20]  S. Nakauchi,et al.  Expeditious prediction of post-mortem changes in frozen fish meat using three-dimensional fluorescence fingerprints , 2019, Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry.

[21]  Xinliang Liu,et al.  Non-destructive determination of chemical and microbial spoilage indicators of beef for freshness evaluation using front-face synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. , 2020, Food chemistry.

[22]  Lin Nian,et al.  Investigation of the antifreeze mechanism and effect on quality characteristics of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) during F-T cycles by hAFP. , 2020, Food chemistry.

[23]  Efstathios Z. Panagou,et al.  Data mining derived from food analyses using non-invasive/non-destructive analytical techniques; determination of food authenticity, quality & safety in tandem with computer science disciplines , 2016 .

[24]  Zhiwei Zhu,et al.  Improving the quality and safety of frozen muscle foods by emerging freezing technologies: A review , 2018, Critical reviews in food science and nutrition.

[25]  R. Rodríguez,et al.  Non-invasive differentiation between fresh and frozen/thawed tuna fillets using near infrared spectroscopy (Vis-NIRS) , 2017 .

[26]  M. Kim,et al.  Determination of the total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content in pork meat using hyperspectral fluorescence imaging , 2018 .

[27]  D. Stratev,et al.  Histological, Physicochemical and Microbiological Changes in the Carp (Cyprinus carpio) Muscles after Freezing , 2021 .

[28]  Wan-Young Chung,et al.  Novel proximal fish freshness monitoring using batteryless smart sensor tag , 2017 .

[29]  Z. Abdel-Salam,et al.  Discrimination between fresh, chilled, and frozen/thawed chicken based on its skin's spectrochemical and optical properties , 2020 .

[30]  Severiano R. Silva,et al.  Non-Destructive Imaging and Spectroscopic Techniques for Assessment of Carcass and Meat Quality in Sheep and Goats: A Review , 2020, Foods.

[31]  Da-Wen Sun,et al.  Hyperspectral imaging technique for evaluating food quality and safety during various processes: A review of recent applications , 2017 .

[32]  C. James,et al.  A Review of Novel and Innovative Food Freezing Technologies , 2015, Food and Bioprocess Technology.

[33]  Da-Wen Sun,et al.  NIR hyperspectral imaging as non-destructive evaluation tool for the recognition of fresh and frozen–thawed porcine longissimus dorsi muscles , 2013 .

[34]  G. Mousdis,et al.  Vibrational and Fluorescence Spectroscopy , 2017 .

[35]  A. Mishra,et al.  Unconventional steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy as an analytical technique for analyses of complex-multifluorophoric mixtures , 2017 .

[36]  B. Kong,et al.  Ultrasound-assisted immersion freezing reduces the structure and gel property deterioration of myofibrillar protein from chicken breast. , 2020, Ultrasonics sonochemistry.

[37]  Naoshi Kondo,et al.  Rapid evaluation of quality deterioration and freshness of beef during low temperature storage using three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy. , 2019, Food chemistry.

[38]  Shigeki Nakauchi,et al.  Smart technique for accurate monitoring of ATP content in frozen fish fillets using fluorescence fingerprint , 2018, LWT.

[39]  Sergio Ghidini,et al.  Approaching Authenticity Issues in Fish and Seafood Products by Qualitative Spectroscopy and Chemometrics , 2019, Molecules.

[40]  Pin Jern Ker,et al.  Applications of Photonics in Agriculture Sector: A Review , 2019, Molecules.

[41]  M. Hubbe,et al.  Recent developments in colorimetric and optical indicators stimulated by volatile base nitrogen to monitor seafood freshness , 2021 .

[42]  Ø. Martinsen,et al.  Detectability of the degree of freeze damage in meat depends on analytic-tool selection. , 2019, Meat science.

[43]  Da‐Wen Sun,et al.  Biomimetic modification of freezing facility surfaces to prevent icing and frosting during freezing for the food industry , 2021 .

[44]  L. Tinacci,et al.  Histological discrimination of fresh and frozen/thawed fish meat: European hake (Merluccius merluccius) as a possible model for white meat fish species , 2018, Food Control.

[45]  Fartash Vasefi,et al.  Detection of fish fillet substitution and mislabeling using multimode hyperspectral imaging techniques , 2020 .

[46]  Lin Nian,et al.  Effect of vacuum impregnation of red sea bream (Pagrosomus major) with herring AFP combined with CS@Fe3O4 nanoparticles during freeze-thaw cycles. , 2019, Food chemistry.

[47]  Shigeki Nakauchi,et al.  Non-invasive sensing of freshness indices of frozen fish and fillets using pretreated excitation–emission matrices , 2016 .

[48]  Jianzhong Shen,et al.  Nontargeted Detection Methods for Food Safety and Integrity. , 2019, Annual review of food science and technology.

[49]  J Sugiyama,et al.  Non-destructive evaluation of ATP content and plate count on pork meat surface by fluorescence spectroscopy. , 2013, Meat science.

[50]  M. Hirano,et al.  Low-Light Photodetectors for Fluorescence Microscopy , 2021, Applied Sciences.

[51]  A. Manickavasagan,et al.  Machine learning techniques for analysis of hyperspectral images to determine quality of food products: A review , 2021, Current research in food science.

[52]  D. F. Al Riza,et al.  Fish freshness monitoring using UV-fluorescence imaging on Japanese dace (Tribolodon hakonensis) fisheye , 2020 .

[53]  D. Cozzolino,et al.  Monitoring Thermal Treatments Applied to Meat Using Traditional Methods and Spectroscopic Techniques: a Review of Advances over the Last Decade , 2020, Food and Bioprocess Technology.

[54]  Xiu‐ping Dong,et al.  Sensory evaluation of fresh/frozen mackerel products: A review. , 2021, Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety.

[55]  Xinxing Li,et al.  Method and system for nondestructive detection of freshness in Penaeus vannamei based on hyperspectral technology , 2021 .

[56]  Shigeki Nakauchi,et al.  Sparse regression for selecting fluorescence wavelengths for accurate prediction of food properties , 2016 .

[57]  Rana Muhammad Aadil,et al.  Pulsed electric field: A potential alternative towards a sustainable food processing , 2021 .

[58]  Igor Khmelinskii,et al.  Fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging instruments for food quality evaluation , 2019, Evaluation Technologies for Food Quality.

[59]  Anna C. Croce,et al.  Light and Autofluorescence, Multitasking Features in Living Organisms , 2021, Photochem.

[60]  Arantzazu Valdés,et al.  Analytical methods combined with multivariate analysis for authentication of animal and vegetable food products with high fat content , 2018, Trends in Food Science & Technology.

[61]  T. Skåra,et al.  Predicting liquid loss of frozen and thawed cod from hyperspectral imaging , 2020 .

[62]  A. Nowak,et al.  Plant extracts rich in polyphenols: antibacterial agents and natural preservatives for meat and meat products , 2020, Critical reviews in food science and nutrition.

[63]  Jinchao Chen,et al.  A Review of Hyperspectral Imaging for Chicken Meat Safety and Quality Evaluation: Application, Hardware, and Software. , 2019, Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety.

[64]  Romdhane Karoui,et al.  Quality evaluation of fish and other seafood by traditional and nondestructive instrumental methods: Advantages and limitations , 2015, Critical reviews in food science and nutrition.

[65]  Jesús Simal-Gándara,et al.  Use of spectroscopic methods in combination with linear discriminant analysis for authentication of food products , 2018, Food Control.

[66]  A. Samokhvalov.  Analysis of various solid samples by synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and related methods: A review. , 2020, Talanta.

[67]  D. Knorr,et al.  Effects of different storage conditions on quality related porphyrin fluorescence signatures of pork slices. , 2012, Meat science.

[68]  J. Wold,et al.  Assessment of the quality attributes of cod caviar paste by means of front-face fluorescence spectroscopy. , 2010, Journal of agricultural and food chemistry.

[69]  Da‐Wen Sun,et al.  Combined effects of ultrasound, plasma-activated water, and peracetic acid on decontamination of mackerel fillets , 2021 .

[70]  G. Nychas,et al.  Detection of Meat Adulteration Using Spectroscopy-Based Sensors , 2021, Foods.

[71]  M. Gutiérrez,et al.  Fluorescence of Extracts from Argentine Hake (Merluccius hubbsi) Muscle and Its Correlation with Quality Indices During Chilled Storage , 2017 .

[72]  D. Caballero,et al.  Evaluation of fresh meat quality by Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): A review. , 2020, Meat science.

[73]  F. Di Cesare,et al.  Discrimination between Fresh and Frozen-Thawed Fish Involved in Food Safety and Fraud Protection , 2020, Foods.

[74]  Da-Wen Sun,et al.  Novel techniques for evaluating freshness quality attributes of fish: A review of recent developments , 2019, Trends in Food Science & Technology.

[75]  M. Housaindokht,et al.  Ribose-induced Maillard Reaction as an Analytical Method for Detection of Adulteration and Differentiation of Chilled and Frozen-thawed Minced Veal , 2020, Food science of animal resources.

[76]  Abdo Hassoun,et al.  Spectroscopic Techniques for Monitoring Thermal Treatments in Fish and Other Seafood: A Review of Recent Developments and Applications , 2020, Foods.

[77]  Abdo Hassoun,et al.  Fluorescence spectroscopy as a rapid and non-destructive method for monitoring quality and authenticity of fish and meat products: Impact of different preservation conditions , 2019, LWT.

[78]  M. Reis.  Near infrared spectroscopy (Vis-NIRS) applied to differentiation between chilled and frozen/thawed meat , 2017 .

[79]  A. Garrido-Varo,et al.  Non-destructive Near Infrared Spectroscopy for the labelling of frozen Iberian pork loins. , 2021, Meat science.

[80]  Shaojin Wang,et al.  A comprehensive review on recent developments of radio frequency treatment for pasteurizing agricultural products , 2020, Critical reviews in food science and nutrition.

[81]  Daniel Cozzolino,et al.  Monitoring Thermal and Non-Thermal Treatments during Processing of Muscle Foods: A Comprehensive Review of Recent Technological Advances , 2020, Applied Sciences.

[82]  S. Benjakul,et al.  Recent developments of natural antimicrobials and antioxidants on fish and fishery food products. , 2021, Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety.

[83]  J. Weiss,et al.  Issues surrounding consumer trust and acceptance of existing and emerging food processing technologies , 2020, Critical reviews in food science and nutrition.

[84]  E. Xanthakis,et al.  Review on identification, underlying mechanisms and evaluation of freezing damage , 2019, Journal of Food Engineering.

[85]  Francesca Di Donato,et al.  Application of Novel Techniques for Monitoring Quality Changes in Meat and Fish Products during Traditional Processing Processes: Reconciling Novelty and Tradition , 2020 .

[86]  S. Nakauchi,et al.  Visualize the quality of frozen fish using fluorescence imaging aided with excitation-emission matrix. , 2018, Optics express.

[87]  Da-Wen Sun,et al.  Rapid and noninvasive sensory analyses of food products by hyperspectral imaging: Recent application developments , 2021 .

[88]  Junichi Sugiyama,et al.  Freshness estimation of intact frozen fish using fluorescence spectroscopy and chemometrics of excitation-emission matrix. , 2015, Talanta.

[89]  Liliana G. Fidalgo,et al.  Fresh Fish Degradation and Advances in Preservation Using Physical Emerging Technologies , 2021, Foods.

[90]  D. Cozzolino,et al.  Fraud in Animal Origin Food Products: Advances in Emerging Spectroscopic Detection Methods over the Past Five Years , 2020, Foods.

[91]  Muhammad Ammar Khan,et al.  Effect of multiple freeze-thaw cycles on the quality of chicken breast meat. , 2015, Food chemistry.

[92]  A. Taheri-Garavand,et al.  Identification of Fresh-Chilled and Frozen-Thawed Chicken Meat and Estimation of their Shelf Life Using an E-Nose Machine Coupled Fuzzy KNN , 2019, Food Analytical Methods.

[93]  Yilmaz Ucar,et al.  Application of cold plasma technology in the food industry and its combination with other emerging technologies , 2021 .

[94]  Jing Xie,et al.  Exploring the Effect of Dehydration on Water Migrating Property and Protein Changes of Large Yellow Croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) during Frozen Storage , 2021, Foods.

[95]  N. Kondo,et al.  Freshness related fluorescent compound changes in Japanese dace fish (Tribolodon hakonensis) eye fluid during storage , 2018, Engineering in Agriculture, Environment and Food.

[96]  Measuring citrate synthase activity as an enzymatic approach to the differentiation of chilled and frozen/thawed meat. , 2019, Meat science.

[97]  Wenli Wang,et al.  Detection of Frozen-Thawed Cycles for Frozen Tilapia (Oreochromis) Fillets Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy , 2018 .

[98]  T. J. Britz,et al.  Impact of freezing and thawing on the quality of meat: review. , 2012, Meat science.

[99]  J. Sugiyama,et al.  Fiber optics fluorescence fingerprint measurement for aerobic plate count prediction on sliced beef surface , 2016 .

[100]  B. Kong,et al.  Moisture migration, microstructure damage and protein structure changes in porcine longissimus muscle as influenced by multiple freeze-thaw cycles. , 2017, Meat science.

[101]  Junichi Sugiyama,et al.  Prediction of Aerobic Plate Count on Beef Surface Using Fluorescence Fingerprint , 2014, Food and Bioprocess Technology.

[102]  Jun-Hu Cheng,et al.  Using Wavelet Textural Features of Visible and Near Infrared Hyperspectral Image to Differentiate Between Fresh and Frozen–Thawed Pork , 2014, Food and Bioprocess Technology.

[103]  Ji Ma,et al.  Raman spectroscopic techniques for detecting structure and quality of frozen foods: principles and applications , 2020, Critical reviews in food science and nutrition.

[104]  Reinhard Klette,et al.  Chemometrics and hyperspectral imaging applied to assessment of chemical, textural and structural characteristics of meat. , 2018, Meat science.

[105]  S. Atanassova,et al.  Differentiation of fresh and frozen-thawed poultry breast meat by Near Infrared Spectroscopy , 2018 .

[106]  Luyun Cai,et al.  Rapid evaluation of freshness of largemouth bass under different thawing methods using hyperspectral imaging , 2021, Food Control.

[107]  M. Corradini,et al.  Novel Luminescent Techniques in Aid of Food Quality, Product Development, and Food Processing , 2021 .

[108]  B. Hitzmann,et al.  Fluorescence Spectroscopy for the Monitoring of Food Processes. , 2017, Advances in biochemical engineering/biotechnology.

[109]  P. Ertbjerg,et al.  On the origin of thaw loss: Relationship between freezing rate and protein denaturation. , 2019, Food chemistry.

[110]  Chao‐Hui Feng,et al.  Estimation of adenosine triphosphate content in ready-to-eat sausages with different storage days, using hyperspectral imaging coupled with R statistics. , 2018, Food chemistry.

[111]  Zhiwei Zhu,et al.  Effects of freezing on cell structure of fresh cellular food materials: A review , 2018 .

[112]  Da‐Wen Sun,et al.  Measuring and controlling ice crystallization in frozen foods: A review of recent developments , 2019, Trends in Food Science & Technology.

[113]  Chadwick A. Parrish,et al.  Emerging nondestructive approaches for meat quality and safety evaluation-A review. , 2021, Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety.

[114]  A. A. Bekhit,et al.  Total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) and its role in meat spoilage: A review , 2021 .

[115]  Prem Prakash Srivastav,et al.  A comprehensive review on freshness of fish and assessment: Analytical methods and recent innovations. , 2020, Food research international.

[116]  Arianna Mencattini,et al.  The spectral treasure house of miniaturized instruments for food safety, quality and authenticity applications: A perspective , 2021 .

[117]  Tom Grunert,et al.  Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy enables rapid differentiation of fresh and frozen/thawed chicken , 2016 .

[118]  P. C. Bernardes,et al.  Principles and applications of non-thermal technologies and alternative chemical compounds in meat and fish , 2020, Critical reviews in food science and nutrition.

[119]  Ismail Hakki Boyaci,et al.  Differentiation of fresh and frozen-thawed fish samples using Raman spectroscopy coupled with chemometric analysis. , 2015, Food chemistry.

[120]  Naşit Iğci,et al.  Authentication and Quality Assessment of Meat Products by Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy , 2020, Food Engineering Reviews.

[121]  Min Zhang,et al.  Recent developments in novel freezing and thawing technologies applied to foods , 2017, Critical reviews in food science and nutrition.

[122]  A. Hassoun,et al.  Performance of Fluorescence and Diffuse Reflectance Hyperspectral Imaging for Characterization of Lutefisk: A Traditional Norwegian Fish Dish , 2020, Molecules.

[123]  Ming Zhao,et al.  Detection of adulteration in fresh and frozen beefburger products by beef offal using mid-infrared ATR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis. , 2014, Meat science.

[124]  B. Kong,et al.  Changes in the thermal stability and structure of myofibrillar protein from quick-frozen pork patties with different fat addition under freeze-thaw cycles. , 2020, Meat science.

[125]  Hongshun Yang,et al.  Recent advances in the application of metabolomics for food safety control and food quality analyses , 2020, Critical reviews in food science and nutrition.