A novel approach to confirm high-pressure processing and enhance traceability of meat products using near-infrared spectroscopy

A novel near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy method was developed to verify high-pressure processing (HPP) in traditional Italian meat products. Dry-cured pressed hams (n=24), entire hams (n=20), and salamis (n=20) were analyzed using a portable NIR instrument before (C), immediately after (T0), and 48 hours post-HPP (T48). Orthogonal partial least square discriminant models showed high cross-validation performances (R 2 X, R 2 Y, Q 2 > 0.80), clearly separating C from T (T0+T48) samples of all products. Minor spectral differences observed between T0 and T48 salamis indicated storage-related changes, but these did not compromise the discrimination between C and T samples. The NIR bands most effective in discriminating C from T samples were primarily associated with protein, water, and fat absorption. External validation confirmed the reliability of the method, yielding classification accuracies of 100% for entire hams, 90.5% for salamis, and 79.2% for pressed hams. This optimized approach can enhance traceability and control procedures, upholds food safety standards for HPP-treated meat products, and provides benefits for both the food industry and regulatory authorities. • A NIR -based method to verify HPP treatment of typical meat products is presented; • NIR analysis indicates changes in major constituents associated with HPP treatment; • The potential applicability of the method throughout post-HPP storage was verified; • Discrimination accuracy for untreated and treated meat samples was higher than 79%.