Prediction of NaCl, nitrate and nitrite contents in minced meat by using a voltammetric electronic tongue and an impedimetric sensor

A method for predicting levels of sodium chloride, sodium nitrite and potassium nitrate in minced meat by using a combination of two different electrochemical methods; namely an electronic tongue (ET) based on pulse voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements is proposed here. The measurements with the voltammetric ET were carried out on both saline solutions (brines) and minced meat, whereas the impedimetric sensor was used only in minced meat. The addition of the salts was performed following an experimental design in which a system of three compounds/three levels was established. Multivariate analysis including Cross validation and Partial Least Square (PLS) techniques were applied for data management and prediction models building. A very good prediction of the concentration of chloride was achieved, whereas the prediction for the concentration of nitrate and nitrite can be considered as moderate.