| The feasibility of using spectral reflectance information in the visible—near infrared (400–1,000 nm) region to estimate moisture content (gW/gDM) and chromaticity (CIELAB) of apple slices was investigated during convection drying. Apple slices were pretreated with hot water blanching (50 and 70°C), acid application (citric and ascorbic), and combinations thereof before drying at 50 and 70°C. Prediction models for the space-averaged spectral reflectance curves were built using the partial least square regression method. A three-component partial least square regression (PLSR) model satisfied the minimal root mean square error (RMSE) criterion for predicting moisture content (avg. RMSEP = 0.13, r2 = 0.99); importantly, the critical wavelengths remained the... |
