One possibility is the implementation of a payout system that steers by fat quality with a preference for unsaturated fat that causes your body to drain cholesterol better. According to the heart foundation your body needs fat, but too much fat is not good. Saturated fat in particular increases your cholesterol and is therefore less good for your cardiovascular system.
Food Technology; In-line NIR inspection system
Vision Partners developed and implemented a real-time inspection system for this customer in the production line that can measure in-line the degree of fat saturation based on Near Infrared spectroscopy (NIR) using the "near infrared" portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, with wavelengths between 800 and 2500 nm.
Infrared spectroscopy is based on the property that molecules have specific frequencies at which they vibrate and do so with discrete energy levels. The different resonant frequencies are molecule-dependent and depend on the molecular structure and atomic masses. Using PLS regression, the degree of saturation of the fat can be determined from the spectral response.
The image below shows the power of machine vision in the NIR spectral region that allows you to recognize and measure non-visible features of products.
Vision Partners installed a hyperspectral Image Acquisition unit at the customer's production line based on the Specim FX17 camera. After triggering the overhead control system, this camera takes images consisting of 224 different frequencies in the spectral region of 900 - 1700 nm.
With software developed by Vision Partners, the fat portion is first selected from the hyperspectral image. Then, for the selected fat, the degree of saturation is determined and the calculated iodine addition number is returned to the overhead production control system.
This hyperspectral inspection in the 900-1700 SWIR spectral region allows in-line measurement of the chemical composition of grease, thereby developing a more sustainable food chain.
"System integration and expertise are most important anyway for a company like Vision Partners. Thanks to our network, we got in touch with them, and it works to our complete satisfaction."
