Robust Authentication of Meat Products Using FTIR Spectroscopy Coupled with Principal Component Analysis

Pork is often used as a low-cost adulterant in place of beef or chicken, making its identification particularly important in processed meat products such as meatballs. This study investigates the use of Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) to detect pork contamination in meatball products. This technique offers a rapid and cost-effective means of analysis. However, the spectral differences among meat types are subtle and not easily discernible by visual inspection alone. To improve differentiation, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed to highlight variations in spectral data. Fresh pork, beef, and chicken samples were sourced from a local supermarket, and meatballs were prepared in a lab. Spectral data were recorded across the 400–4000 cm−1 range. PCA results showed that the first and second principal components clearly separated uncontaminated samples from those adulterated with pork. Complementary PLS-DA analysis (5-fold cross-validation) quantified the spectral separation: beef vs. pork (accuracy = 94.7%, BER = 5.7%), chicken vs. pork (accuracy = 100.0%, BER = 0.0%), beef-meatball vs. pork-meatball (accuracy = 100.0%, BER = 0.0%), and chicken-meatball vs. pork-meatball (accuracy = 100.0%, BER = 0.0%). This approach demonstrates the potential of ATR-FTIR combined with PCA as a robust analytical method for meat authentication, offering a practical solution for quality control and food safety in the meat processing industry.