Pumpkins are more than just Halloween decorations—they' re a favorite in many kitchens, but how do we know which ones are the best?
A research team led by Professors WU Yuejin and WANG Qi from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has developed a new way to quickly assess the sensory quality of pumpkins using high-tech tools.
Their breakthrough, recently published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis and Microwave and Optical Technology Letters, combines two advanced technologies — near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) — to rapidly measure and visualize the overall sensory quality of pumpkins.
Traditionally, testing the quality of pumpkins is a time-consuming and subjective process. Often farmers or producers can only get a general picture of a pumpkin through cooking and tasting. But with NIRS and HSI, the researchers can now quickly and accurately measure those elements that affect the sensory qualities of pumpkins, such as starch and moisture, to make more accurate and objective judgments.
To develop this technology, the team collected 97 pumpkin slice samples from 34 different pumpkins. Using the two technologies, they built models that predict the pumpkin' s sensory quality by analyzing its starch and moisture content. The results were impressive. The NIRS method showed a correlation of 0.788, and the HSI method was even better at 0.934, meaning they could predict pumpkin quality with great accuracy.
Not only do these methods yield quality predictions, but they can also create colorful "maps" that show how the quality factors like starch and moisture are distributed within the pumpkin. This breakthrough could be a game-changer for pumpkin producers, helping them select the best varieties and improve production processes.
"This technology gives us a smart way to measure the quality of pumpkins—quickly, accurately, and without guesswork," said Dr. XU Zhuopin, a member of the team, "It could be the key to improving pumpkin cultivation and making our pumpkin dishes even better!"
Flow chart of pumpkin quality spectroscopic analysis (Image by XU Zhuopin)