Detection of Adulterations in Meat Products with Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectrophotometry

Food adulteration in the meat industry is a growing concern, often involving the substitution of high-quality meat with lower-cost alternatives such as collagen-rich tissues or undeclared poultry meat. This study evaluates the potential of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy as a rapid, accurate, and non-destructive method for detecting collagen content and adulteration in emulsified meat products. In this work, 39 packaged samples of beef sausages and beef salami were analyzed in terms of pH, salt, moisture, protein, fat, ash, and collagen contents using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy. The results revealed that 20 samples exceeded collagen content limits, while 5 samples (12.8%) contained undeclared chicken meat. Additionally, the collagen-to-meat protein ratio in 37 out of 39 samples was found to be higher than the 15% threshold specified in Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 for minced meat, suggesting that these products may have been manufactured using meat with high connective tissue content. The quantification of chicken meat was performed using a Partial Least Squares regression model, which achieved a detection error margin of 2.05–2.12%. The findings confirm that Near-Infrared Reflectance spectroscopy can effectively determine key physicochemical properties, providing reliable first predictions of meat composition. The results indicate that Near-Infrared Reflectance spectroscopy is a promising tool for improving quality control and detecting adulteration in processed meat products, offering a fast and efficient alternative to traditional analytical methods.

Cite this article as: Onaran Acar, B., Cengiz, G., Tarcan, B., & Küplülü, Ö. (2025). Detection of adulterations in meat products with near-infrared reflectance spectrophotometry. Acta Veterinaria Eurasia, 51, 0108, doi: 10.5152/actavet.2025.24108.