Classification and Profiling of Food Containers by Principal Component Analysis with Their UV-Visible-NIR Spectra

Introduction

There are various types of containers for foods and beverages, but aside from their fundamental purpose of "containing" these items, they also play a role in protecting the food contents from such influences as the external atmosphere, light, etc. With respect to protection from light, for example, it is important to evaluate their effectiveness as a UV barrier. Here, we investigated the transmittance of ultraviolet to near- infrared light in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles used primarily as containers for soft drinks such as juice and tea. The results of measurement using 14 types of PET bottles indicated a difference in transmittance between the ultraviolet and near-infrared regions. Further, by applying multivariate analysis using principal component analysis to the measurement, it was possible to classify the bottles on a two- dimensional graph. Further, a comparison of the results obtained from the same measurement using polystyrene food containers with those of the PET bottles indicated a large difference in transmittance. This paper introduces the results of this analysis.

May 22, 2013 GMT