Proton NMR profiling of food samples

1H NMR profiling is an emerging technique for the characterization of food quality, authenticity, origin and stability and for the study of food production, transformation and storage processes. To produce reliable results, a large number of good quality NMR spectra are needed together with suitable processing and pattern recognition algorithms. Different aspects of sample preparation and spectra detection and quantification are discussed together with the most diffused pattern recognition methods which permit to associate NMR spectra to food macroscopic properties. Critical aspects of clustering, classification and regression approaches are analysed and the importance of model validation and data representation emphasized. Finally, the most important applications of 1H NMR profiling to food science are presented. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.