Shifted excitation Raman difference spectroscopy at multiple wavelengths for in-situ meat species differentiation

Two miniaturized Raman measurement heads containing microsystem diode lasers emitting at 783 and 671 nm suitable for shifted excitation Raman difference spectroscopy (SERDS) were applied for the non-invasive in situ differentiation of selected meat species. This allows using the fingerprint characteristics of Raman spectra without a disturbing fluorescence background. At 783 nm, two emission lines with a spectral shift of 0.5 nm (7 cm−1) and optical powers of up to 110 mW were realized. For 671 nm excitation, the spectral shift amounts to 0.6 nm (12 cm−1) and optical powers of up to 40 mW were obtained. In both cases, meat Raman spectra could be recorded with integration times of 10 s. The investigations were carried out using selected cuts from the most commonly consumed meat species in the US and Europe, i.e. beef, pork, chicken, and turkey. A principal components analysis of the SERDS spectra revealed a clear separation of the meat species into four distinct groups for both excitation wavelengths. This classification is based on the myoglobin content and gradual differences of protein Raman band intensities and positions. The results demonstrate the potential of SERDS as rapid and non-destructive screening method for the discrimination of selected meat species.