Characteristics of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine-induced abscesses in pork meat and verification of detectability using hyperspectral imaging technique

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), a highly contagious viral disease, prompted South Korea to mandate pig vaccinations in 2011. However, a common side effect of these vaccinations is the formation of abscesses in the ham or neck muscles, which must be manually identified during meat processing. This study evaluates hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in visible/near-infrared (Vis/NIR), fluorescence, and short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectra to detect abscesses in pork ham, aiming to reduce labor dependency. Three hundred spectra from abscesses, muscle, and fat in the ham area of 30 pork carcasses, and 900 spectra were used to train classification models. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) yielded accuracies of 97.0 % (Vis/NIR), 96.2 % (fluorescence), and 98.9 % (SWIR). Additional analyses, including proximate composition, H&E and Sirius red staining, were conducted to define abscess characteristics. Abscess and fibrotic muscle areas showed elevated moisture, mineral (Ca, K ions), and collagen levels compared to normal tissue, confirmed through H&E and Sirius red staining. Results indicate SWIR imaging (1000–2500 nm) as the most accurate for abscess detection, with distinct spectral peaks (N-H, O-H, C-H and collagen) linked to collagen and tissue structure. This study supports developing HSI-based systems for automated abscess detection, potentially enhancing quality and inspection efficiency in meat processing.