Book excerpt: This reference gives food science professionals a working understanding of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and its role in maximizing food potential. It explains the technical aspects of NIRS, including: basic principles; characteristics of the NIR spectra; instrumentation; sampling techniques; and chemometrics. The book details applications of NIRS in agricultural and marine products, foodstuffs and processed foods, engineering and process monitoring, and food safety and disease diagnosis.