To
thrive as a global civilization, food production must meet the
demands of our ever-growing population. There are more than a billion
people on the planet suffering from malnutrition through poor quality
or lack of food. Nutrient content of food can be determined by a variety
of methods, which have issues such as slow analysis or sample destruction.
Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a long-standing alternative to
these methods. In this work, we demonstrated that Raman spectroscopy
(RS), another spectroscopic method, can also be used to assess the
nutrient content of maize (Zea mays), one of the most widely cultivated grains in the world. Using a
handheld Raman spectrometer, we predicted the content of carbohydrates,
fibers, carotenoids, and proteins in six different varieties of maize.
This analysis requires only a single maize kernel and is fast (1s),
portable, noninvasive, and nondestructive. Moreover, we showed that
RS in combination with chemometric methods can be used for highly
accurate (approximately 90%) spectroscopic typing of maize, which
is important for plant breeders and farmers. Finally, we demonstrate
that Raman-based approach is as accurate as NIR analysis. These findings
suggest that portable Raman systems can be used on combines and grain
elevators for autonomous control of grain quality.