CHAPTER 2: Spectroscopic Techniques for Quality Assessment of Tea and Coffee

This chapter presents an overview of the latest advances in the application of absorption spectroscopy in the ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, and mid-infrared regions and also fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with multivariate analysis in the evaluation of various aspects of the quality of tea and coffee. Spectroscopic methods have been used for tea and coffee classification according to various criteria, including product category, species, place of origin, and maturity, and also for the prediction of their chemical components and physical and sensory properties. The presented results indicated satisfactory performance, demonstrating the potential of these techniques for quality assessment, authenticity testing, and control of the manufacturing processes. Non-destructive character, rapidity and simplicity of measurements, and simultaneous analysis of several components and attributes are among the most attractive features of spectroscopy from the practical point of view. Therefore, this technique can be used in the routine quality control of a large number of samples as an alternative to conventional analytical methods.