Characterization of Apple Juice Adulteration by Attenuated Total Reflection-Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy and Partial Least Squares

Juice counterfeiting not only affects product quality but also deceives consumers into buying low-quality goods at high prices. Here is explored the feasibility of combining attenuated total reflection-mid-infrared (ATR-MIR) spectroscopy and interval-based partial least squares (PLS) and full-spectrum PLS models for identifying the adulteration of apple juice. A sample set composed of 41 concentrations of diluted juice was prepared. The adulteration concentration was obtained based on the juice spectrum and the corresponding model. The changeable moving window PLS model was shown to provide the best performance and may be an alternative to traditional approaches for quality control of juice.