Application of hotelling’s T2 control chart for non-destructive quality management of the green tea beverage rapid cooling process

Abstract

High processing temperatures can compromise the stability of tea polyphenols in green tea beverages, adversely affecting the quality of the final product. Traditionally, quality assessment has relied on post-production measurements, which are time-consuming and do not provide real-time results. This study applied engineering principles to enhance non-destructive quality control methods for the production of green tea beverages. The integration of Hotelling’s T² control chart with rapid cooling technology was shown to preserve flavor and nutritional content by detecting potential polyphenol inactivation. We collected production data on cooling temperature curves and tea polyphenol levels as well as applied four-fold cross-validation to determine the optimal decision threshold, with classification accuracy between 85 and 98%. The integration of Hotelling’s T² control chart with process control revealed a significant correlation between cooling temperature and tea quality. This approach contributes to improving process automation and efficiency in the food industry, offering a sustainable solution for non-destructive quality assessment.