Spectral Imaging Technologies for Food Safety and Quality Evaluations

ARS researchers in Beltsville, Maryland, pioneered the online implementation of hyperspectral/multispectral line-scan imaging technologies in a commercial food processing environment such as wholesomeness inspection of broiler chickens on poultry processing lines. The research and development effort for the use of hyperspectral line-scan imaging as a multispectral platform has been expanded to online produce safety and quality inspection. To achieve comprehensive online quality and safety inspection of fruits and vegetables, whole-surface sample presentation and imaging regimes must be considered. Because of the morphological shape differences between relatively round fruits and flat leafy greens, two independent methods are in development to achieve effective whole-surface sample evaluation based on the use of a single hyperspectral line-scan imaging device on a processing line. The whole-surface fruit and vegetable spectral imaging methods that allow simultaneous safety and quality inspection online are presented.