Inline Microbial Contamination Detection Using Hyperspectral Edge Sensors

Source summary

Develop a non-destructive inline sensing rig for food production conveyors, intended to inspect every passing item rather than sampled batches. The proposal combines hyperspectral imaging with near-infrared or ultraviolet illumination and processors inside the sensor housing to identify spectral signs of early microbial contamination on food surfaces, including poultry and leafy greens. It asks for millisecond alerts to downstream sorting equipment without stopping production. Detection performance for the named pathogens is a development requirement, not a demonstrated capability.