The last 10 years of knowledge on near infrared (NIR) applications in the horticultural field are summarized. NIR spectroscopy is considered one of the most suitable technologies of investigation worldwide used as a nondestructive approach to monitoring raw materials and products in several fields. There are different types of approaches that can be employed for the study of key issues for horticultural products. In this paper, an update of the information collected from the main specific International Journals and Symposia was reported. Many papers showed the use of NIR spectroscopy in the horticultural field, and the literature data were grouped per year, per product, and per application, such as studies of direct (chemical composition) and indirect (physical and sensorial) properties (P), process control (PC), and authenticity and classification studies (AC). A mention was made of a recent innovative approach that considers the contribution of water absorption in the study of biological systems.

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Parallel transformation tests on pineapple slices using two micro drying plants (M1 and M2) operating with solar energy were carried out. Method M1 consisted of an active fan at the top, whose ventilation rate depended on the internal temperature. Method M2 had a continuously working fan at the bottom. The dehydration performance of these two micro-plants was compared by collecting spectra from pineapple slices in reflectance mode (900–1600 nm) at three different times: (0) process start, (1) during the process [48 h] and (2) process end [56 h]. Simultaneously, dry matter, titratable acidity (SH°), pH and aw (water activity) were measured. For these parameters, significant differences ( p < 0.05) were detected between the fresh (t = 0) and the dried product (t = 56). Near infrared (NIR) spectra analysis was carried out according to previously published methods. Spectral data in the wavelength region from 1300 to 1550 nm underwent statistical processing to perform aquaphotomics evaluation and chemometrics methods such as PCA (Principal Component Analysis) and LDA (Linear Discriminant Analysis). The Aquagrams highlighted differences among fresh, half-dried and dried slices where water molecules were highly organized between the water matrix coordinates C1 to C3 at t = 0 and C2 to C6 for the other evaluated times. The PCA could explain about 98% of the total variance in the PC1–PC3 scores plot. And the additional LDA classified the NIR spectra with an accuracy of 100, 98 and 83% for t = 0, t = 56-M1 and t = 56-M2, respectively. Such preliminary results suggest the applicability of Aquaphotomics and chemometrics for the continuous monitoring of fruit drying processes using an adequate NIR probe. Further experiments are already in progress.

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Sturgeon caviar quality relies not only on the perfect dosage of the ingredients but also on the long sturgeon breeding cycle (about 12–15 years) and the exact timing of the egg extraction. For the improvement and the promotion of Italian caviar, the development of an analytical system dedicated to fish products, and caviar, in particular, is fundamental. The use of near-infrared spectrometry (NIRS) technology is auspicious. The aquaphotomics approach proved to be an adequate analytical tool to highlight, in real-time, the differences in caviar quality stored with, or without, borax as a preservative. Seventy-five sturgeon caviar (Acipenser transmontanus) samples underwent spectral NIR characterization using a microNIR1700 in the 900–1700 nm range. Data processing was carried out according to the literature. Tenderometric and sensory analyses were also carried out in parallel. The results suggest that a process line under strict control and monitoring can result in high-quality caviar without any other preservative than salt. The challenge of producing caviar without any potentially-toxic preservatives could now be a reality. NIR spectroscopy and aquaphotomics can be, in the future, non-invasive methods to monitor the whole production chain.