Powdered foods are matrices transformed into fine, loose solid particles through dehydration and/or milling, which enhances stability, storage, and transport. Due to their high commercial value and susceptibility to fraudulent practices, detecting adulterants in powdered foods is essential for ensuring food safety and protecting consumer health and the economy. Food fraud in powdered products, such as spices, cereals, dairy-based powders, and dietary supplements, poses an increasing risk to public health and consumer trust. These products were selected as representative matrices due to their high nutritional and economic relevance, which also makes them more susceptible to adulteration and hidden potential health risks from hidden contaminants. Recent studies highlight the potential of spectroscopic techniques combined with chemometrics as rapid, non-destructive, and cost-effective tools for authentication. This narrative review synthesizes recent literature (2020–2025) on the application of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometric techniques for adulterant detection in powdered foods. Advances in spectral preprocessing, variable selection, classification, and regression models are discussed alongside the most common adulterants and their nutritional and toxicological implications. Furthermore, the applicability of portable versus benchtop NIR devices is compared. The main contribution of this review lies in critically analyzing methodological frameworks, mapping current gaps, and identifying emerging trends, such as digital integration, self-adaptive chemometric models, and real-time on-site authentication, positioning NIR spectroscopy as a promising tool for food authentication and quality control.

Beer is one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages worldwide; however, with consumers more aware of food's environmental and nutritional benefits, there is a demand for more sustainable and value-added products. Andean pseudocereals (APS) are becoming a trend as gluten-free grains with excellent nutritional and nutraceutical value. Cultivated under the extreme climate conditions of the Peruvian Andes, APS seeds are an excellent source of starch, fiber, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and bioactive compounds such as phenolic acids and flavonoids with antioxidant capacity that provide potential health benefits. This review is a compilation of the information and studies on the general characteristics and potential of the main APS as quinoa, amaranth, and cañihua for beer production. In addition, current evidence of the malting process in APS and its effects on beer's nutritional, functional, and sensory properties are also provided. Based on the research supporting the pseudocereals inclusion for the formulation of foods for celiac people, this review also looks at recent advances in applying APS to develop traditional and gluten-free (GF) beers. Finally, APS's economic, cultural, and social importance in the brewing industry is highlighted to promote the creation and innovation of fermentative products based on their bioactive compounds, thus achieving better commercial exploration of these ancestral grains.