Considerations about the gap between research in near-infrared spectroscopy and official methods and recommendations of analysis in foods

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR spectroscopy) is a powerful analytical technology for measuring food characteristics. More and more applications of NIR spectroscopy have been studied, and an increasing number of commercial solutions are available on the market. However, only 25 documents about NIR spectroscopy have been issued by international bodies, while the number of scientific papers published in recent years has always been higher than 60/year. Studies prove that NIR spectroscopy could boost the sustainability of the food system, the food quality, and the optimisation of production by real-time monitoring. Considering the technical, analytical, and environmental advantages of NIR spectroscopy, more efforts should be made to extend the applicability of NIR spectroscopy solutions and promote the development of more official methods based on NIR spectroscopy.