Harnessing Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Machine Learning for Traceable Classification of Hanwoo and Holstein Beef

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that combining portable Near-Infrared Spectroscopy with machine learning models effectively differentiates Hanwoo and Holstein beef, offering a rapid, non-invasive method to combat food fraud and ensure meat authenticity.

Contribution

It introduces a novel integrated approach using NIRS and multiple ML algorithms for beef classification, highlighting the effectiveness of Random Forest and SVM models in this context.

Findings

Random Forest achieved ROC AUC of 0.8826

NIRS spectral data clearly separated beef varieties with 93.72% variance explained

ML models, especially RF and SVM, provided high accuracy and robustness

Abstract

This study evaluates the use of Near-Infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) combined with advanced machine learning (ML) techniques to differentiate Hanwoo beef (HNB) and Holstein beef (HLB) to address food authenticity, mislabeling, and adulteration. Rapid and non-invasive spectral data were attained by a portable NIRS, recording absorbance data within the wavelength range of 700 to 1100 nm. A total of 40 Longissimus lumborum samples, evenly split between HNB and HLB, were obtained from a local hypermarket. Data analysis using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) demonstrated distinct spectral patterns associated with chemical changes, clearly separating the two beef varieties and accounting for 93.72% of the total variance. ML models, including Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forest, Gradient Boosting (GB), K-Nearest Neighbors, Decision Tree (DT), Naive Bayes (NB), and Neural Networks (NN), were implemented, optimized through hyperparameter tuning, and validated by 5-fold cross-validation techniques to enhance model robustness and prevent overfitting. Random Forest provided the highest predictive accuracy with a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.8826, closely followed by the SVM model at 0.8747. Furthermore, GB and NN algorithms exhibited satisfactory performances, with cross-validation scores of 0.752. Notably, the NN model achieved the highest recall rate of 0.7804, highlighting its suitability in scenarios requiring heightened sensitivity. DT and NB exhibited comparatively lower predictive performance. The LR and SVM models emerged as optimal choices by effectively balancing high accuracy, precision, and recall. This study confirms that integrating NIRS with ML techniques offers a powerful and reliable method for meat authenticity, significantly contributing to detecting food fraud.