Nondestructive monitoring of the quality properties in tumbling-assisted dry salting treated kimchi cabbage: A visual analysis using hyperspectral imaging technology

Understanding the influence of salting conditions on salt uptake is essential for optimizing the quality and efficiency of dry-salted vegetables. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the tumbling-assisted dry salting (TS) method on kimchi cabbage (KC) quality and to observe nondestructive analysis of salt diffusion and tissue integrity using hyperspectral imaging (HSI, 874–1734 nm). The effects of salting methods, tumbling time (30, 60, 90 min in CS; 5, 10, 20 min in TS), and salt concentration (4, 6, 8%) on microstructure, physicochemical and textural characteristics were assessed. TS was more efficient than CS; however, prolonged treatment or high salt concentration beyond a threshold caused notable microstructural damage. The partial least squares regression model for the samples exhibited high predictive performance for salinity and hardness, with R p ² and RPD values of 0.877 and 2.769, and 0.884 and 2.861, respectively. Pseudo-color mapping effectively visualized sodium chloride diffusion and degradation, particularly at leaf edges. Visual analysis confirmed that the proposed HSI approach is robust for monitoring diffusion behavior and texture quality after salting under various salting methods, enabling nondestructive optimization of salting conditions. • TS was associated with increased salinity and soluble solid contents in KC. • TS was associated with increased physical damage to cell microstructure in KC. • HSI system with PLS demonstrated suitability for predicting quality in salted KC. • HSI visualized higher salting efficiency and edge damage distribution in TS-KC. • HSI analysis demonstrated feasible nondestructive control of optimal TS conditions.