Pumpkins are more than just Halloween decorations—they're a beloved ingredient in many kitchens. But how can we determine which pumpkins are the best?

A research team led by Professors WU Yuejin and WANG Qi from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a new way to quickly assess the sensory quality of pumpkins using high-tech tools.

Their breakthrough, recently published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis and Microwave and Optical Technology Letters, combines two advanced technologies — near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) — to rapidly measure and visualize the overall sensory quality of pumpkins.

Traditionally, testing pumpkins quality has been a time-consuming and subjective process. Farmers and producers often rely on cooking and tasting to get a general idea of a pumpkin's quality. However, with NIRS and HSI, researchers can now quickly and accurately measure critical factors that influence sensory qualities, such as starch and moisture content, allowing for more objective evaluations.

To develop this technology, the team collected 97 pumpkin slice samples from 34 different pumpkins. Using the two techniques, they built predictive models that analyze starch and moisture content to assess sensory quality.

The results were impressive: the NIRS method showed a correlation of 0.788, while the HSI method achieved an even higher correlation of 0.934, indicating remarkable accuracy in predicting pumpkin quality.

In addition to providing quality predictions, these methods can create colorful “maps” that illustrate the distribution of quality factors, such as starch and moisture, within each pumpkin. This breakthrough could be a game-changer for pumpkin production, helping the growers select the best varieties and enhance their production processes.

“This technology offers a smart way to measure pumpkin quality—quickly, accurately, and without guesswork,” said Dr. XU Zhuopin, a team member. “It could be key to improving pumpkin cultivation and making our pumpkin dishes even better!”

Flow chart of pumpkin quality spectroscopic analysis (Image by XU Zhuopin)