Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy for food quality analysis

The most commonly used spectroscopic techniques in food analysis are atomic and molecular spectroscopy. The vast majority of the applications of molecular spectroscopy in food are using near- and mid-infrared spectroscopy. However, the advent of new instrumentation and sample presentation alternatives has led to an increase in the use of ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy for the analysis of food. This chapter reviews the basic concepts of UV-Vis spectroscopy and provides examples of this technique applied to the analysis of different food matrices (e.g., meat, milk, coffee, wine, and olive oil).