Fluorescence spectroscopy: a rapid tool for analyzing dairy products.

This paper gives a critical evaluation of the use of fluorescence spectroscopy for measuring chemical and physical changes in dairy products caused by processing and storage. Fluorescence spectroscopy is able to determine various properties of foods without use of chemicals and time-consuming sample preparation. This is shown by examples where the measurement of a given chemical parameter has been appropriately described and validated, as well as situations showing potential applications, but where further research and validation is required. The interpretation of fluorescence spectroscopic data is complex due to absorbance by other molecular groups, changes caused by variation in the sample matrix, etc. It is illustrated how advanced data analytical techniques are required to obtain optimal interpretation of the data. Even though the review focuses on examples from the dairy industry, the principles are broader and can be applied to other fields of food and agricultural research.