Advances in NIR spectroscopy applied to process analytical technology in food industries

Process analytical technology (PAT) in food industries can improve process efficiency and final product quality by enhancing understanding and control of the manufacturing processes. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is one of the predominant e-sensing technologies used in PAT, thanks to its ability in fingerprinting materials and simultaneously analyzing different food-related phenomena. Recent advances have shown good potentials of NIRS in real-time monitoring and modeling of different food processes. However, most studies have been carried out at a lab scale, while applications at industrial levels are still few. To bridge the gap between NIRS potentials and its actual implementation in PAT, more efforts are requested to both researchers and industries in order to close the control loop for an efficient and automated processing management.