Determination of Chemical Content of Vanilla Pods (Vanilla planifolia) Non-destructively Using NIR Spectroscopy

This study aims to assess Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to predict vanillin and moisture content non-destructively. Twenty-four samples of vanilla pods (@55 grams/sample) from Sumatra and Sulawesi Island were tested. The reflectance spectra of vanilla pod were measured using a NIRFlex N-500 spectrometer at the wavelength of 1000-2500 nm. After that, the vanillin and moisture content were measured using the reference method. The reflectance spectra were transformed to absorbance spectra and several pre-treatment methods of NIR spectra were applied, and the results were calibrated with chemical data using principal component regression (PCR) and partial least square (PLS) methods. The best estimation for vanillin content using absorbance spectra with OSC pre-treatment at 3 PLS factors with the accuracy parameters of r = 0.91, SEC = 1.31%, SEP = 1.34%, CV = 45.60%, RPD = 2.30 with a consistency of 97.96%. The best prediction of vanillin content using PCR method was obtained with SNV pre-treated spectra at 6 PCR factors with the accuracy parameters of r = 0.89, SEC = 1.47%, SEP = 1.49%, CV = 43.21%, RPD = 2.09 and 101.40% consistency. The best estimation for water content using the PLS method is using the SNV pre-treatment spectra with a PLS factor of 5 with the accuracy parameters of r = 0.99, SEC = 2.11%, SEP = 2.13%, CV = 6.12%, RPD = 7.98 with consistency = 98.86%. While using the PCR method, the best estimation for moisture content was also obtained by SNV pre-treated spectra at 4 PCR factors with the accuracy values of r = 0.99, SEC = 2.33%, SEP = 2.25%, CV = 6.25%, RPD = 7.58 and consistency = 103.90%. The PLS calibration provide a better accuracy than the PCR. The NIR spectroscopy associated with the selected pre-treatments and factor numbers of PLS and PCR can be used for determination of chemical content of vanilla pods.