Multispectral image of sausage showing moisture content.

Beyond the Bite: Can Tech Keep Your Sausage Juicy?

Reese Marlowe in Tech & Innovation December 2025 • 4 min read.

"Multispectral imaging offers a non-destructive way to measure moisture and water-holding capacity, ensuring better quality in cooked pork sausages."

Moisture is a critical factor in the quality of meat products, influencing everything from appearance and juiciness to flavor and texture. It also plays a key role in determining shelf life. Consumers and producers alike want to minimize moisture loss and maximize water-holding capacity (WHC). For meat producers, high moisture content (MC) and WHC translate to better yields, as products are sold by weight. For consumers, these factors contribute significantly to the eating experience.

Traditional methods for measuring MC and WHC in meat products, such as drying and centrifugation, are time-consuming, destructive, and require skilled personnel. These methods are not ideal for the fast-paced environment of modern food processing. This creates a need for rapid, non-invasive techniques that can monitor these parameters throughout the production chain.

Multispectral imaging (MSI) is emerging as a promising solution. This technology captures spectral and spatial information about an object, providing a wealth of data related to its physicochemical characteristics. Recent studies have explored MSI for assessing meat quality and safety, including detecting spoilage and adulteration. Now, researchers are investigating its potential for measuring MC and WHC in cooked pork sausages (CPS) quickly and accurately.

MSI: A New Way to Analyze Sausage

Multispectral image of sausage showing moisture content.

A study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture explores how multispectral imaging (MSI) can identify moisture content and water-holding capacity in cooked pork sausages. Researchers Fei Ma, Bin Zhang, et al., from Hefei University of Technology, investigated whether MSI, combined with multivariate analysis, could provide a non-destructive method for assessing these crucial quality parameters.

The team analyzed 156 CPS samples treated with varying salt concentrations (0-2.5%). Salt is a key ingredient impacting moisture and WHC. Using different calibration models, they aimed to find the most effective way to predict MC and WHC based on the spectral and textural data obtained through MSI.

Data Fusion: The study fused spectral data with textural information extracted from images.
Modeling: Partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were used to determine MC and WHC.
Accuracy: The PLSR models showed strong performance, with correlation coefficients (r) of 0.949 for MC and 0.832 for WHC.
Visualization: The spatial distribution of MC and WHC within the sausages was visualized by applying prediction equations to each pixel in the MSI images.

The results demonstrated that MSI has the potential to serve as a rapid and non-destructive method for assessing MC and WHC in the sausage industry. This could lead to better quality control and more consistent products.

The Future of Sausage Quality Control

This research highlights the potential of MSI as a valuable tool for the meat processing industry. By providing a rapid and non-destructive way to assess moisture content and water-holding capacity, MSI can help producers optimize their processes and ensure consistent product quality. This is particularly important in today's market, where consumers demand high-quality, consistent food products.

The ability to visualize the distribution of MC and WHC within sausages also offers a new level of insight. This could help identify areas where moisture loss is occurring, allowing producers to adjust their processes to minimize waste and improve product yield.

As MSI technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even wider adoption in the food industry. From detecting spoilage to assessing nutritional content, MSI has the potential to revolutionize the way we produce and consume food.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1002/jsfa.8659, Alternate LINK

Title: Potential Use Of Multispectral Imaging Technology To Identify Moisture Content And Water-Holding Capacity In Cooked Pork Sausages

Subject: Nutrition and Dietetics

Journal: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture

Publisher: Wiley

Authors: Fei Ma, Bin Zhang, Wu Wang, Peijun Li, Xiangli Niu, Conggui Chen, Lei Zheng

Published: 2017-10-12

Everything You Need To Know

What is multispectral imaging, and how is it used in the context of cooked pork sausages?

Multispectral imaging (MSI) is a technology that captures spectral and spatial information about an object. This data provides insights into the object's physicochemical characteristics. In the context of cooked pork sausages (CPS), MSI is used to measure moisture content (MC) and water-holding capacity (WHC) non-destructively. This contrasts with traditional methods like drying and centrifugation, which are destructive and time-consuming.

Why are moisture content and water-holding capacity important in cooked pork sausages?

Moisture content (MC) and water-holding capacity (WHC) are crucial for the quality of cooked pork sausages (CPS). MC directly impacts appearance, juiciness, flavor, texture, and shelf life. WHC, the ability of the sausage to retain water, also influences these factors. For producers, higher MC and WHC mean better yields. For consumers, these factors greatly contribute to the eating experience.

What is the significance of using multispectral imaging to measure moisture content and water-holding capacity?

Multispectral imaging (MSI) is important because it provides a rapid, accurate, and non-destructive method for assessing moisture content (MC) and water-holding capacity (WHC) in cooked pork sausages (CPS). This technology allows for better quality control throughout the production chain. The use of MSI enables producers to optimize their processes, ensuring consistent product quality and meeting consumer demands for high-quality food.

What are the implications of using multispectral imaging for the cooked pork sausage industry?

The implications of using multispectral imaging (MSI) are significant for the cooked pork sausage (CPS) industry. It allows for rapid assessment of key quality parameters like moisture content (MC) and water-holding capacity (WHC), leading to more efficient production and improved quality control. By using MSI, producers can minimize moisture loss, maximize WHC, and ensure that consumers receive products with consistent flavor, texture, and shelf life. This technology supports better yields and reduces the need for destructive testing methods.

How did the researchers in the study utilize multispectral imaging to assess the quality of cooked pork sausages?

The study employed multispectral imaging (MSI) combined with data fusion, using both spectral data and textural information. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were then used to predict moisture content (MC) and water-holding capacity (WHC). The models showed high accuracy, allowing for visualization of the spatial distribution of MC and WHC within the cooked pork sausages (CPS). The use of different salt concentrations (0-2.5%) also played a role, as salt is a key ingredient impacting moisture and water-holding capacity.