Applications of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Nondestructive Quality Analysis of Fish and Fishery Products

Fish has become one of the most popular aquatic products for its beneficial effects. The quality of fish and fishery products may be influenced by their geographical origin, transportation, processing, and storage conditions. The availability of rapid and reliable techniques is important for nondestructive determination of their quality. Recently, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been widely employed in the nondestructive evaluation of fish and fishery products. However, a comprehensive review on NIRS for this topic remains to be published. Based on this demand, the applications of NIRS in the nondestructive evaluation of fish and fishery products have been discussed in this review. This review firstly introduces the fundamentals of NIRS. Then the application of NIRS for the assessment of species, geographical origin, adulteration, freshness, nutrient components, and texture is summarized. In addition, the application of near-infrared hyperspectral imaging technology in fish and fishery products is also discussed. Finally, the challenges and prospects are outlined. The current review may provide a reference for research on NIRS in this field. In the future, NIRS could be used for online assessment of quality attributes in the fish industry through the development of new instruments and chemometrics.