piece of fruit as it passes underneath
at full production-grade speeds.
For avocados, a key quality measure
is dry matter content as it is a strong
indicator of fruit maturity and consumer
preference. According to ImpactVision,
its system can provide
a reading of the dry matter content
non-invasively as products pass by,
and by integrating with sorting machinery,
avocados can be sorted into
buckets with much lower variance.
This in turn leads to a more consistent
ripening process and end-product.
ImpactVision says it is developing
solutions for assessing the shelf-life
of salads and BRIX content of berries
with the aim of driving similar
benefits in these supply chains. The
results are two-fold, involving packing
line consistency as well as logistical
optimisation.
“Our solution is modular and is designed
to integrate with existing infrastructure
20 NOVEMBER 2018
and can be retrofitted onto
existing conveyor belts,” Ramanan
says. “It can be programmed to sort
in real-time on the packing line, based
on dry matter content, freshness,
shelf-life etc.
“With the data received, a shipper
can then determine how to distribute
fruit. The idea being that riper fruit
can be sent closer, while less ripe
fruit will remain fresher for longer and
subsequently be sent to more distant
customers. It’s all about driving consistency
in quality and also optimising
distribution.”
ImpactVision’s avocado dry matter
system will be launched next year,
and its first commercial product is a
system specialising in non-magnetic
foreign object detection, in order to
detect contaminants that X-ray machines
and metal detectors are not
able to, which the company says will
help prevent costly and wasteful product
recalls.
“We have launched our first commercial
product,” Ramanan says. “This
will detect foreign objects in products,
including metals but also non-metals
such as plastics, rubber, textiles and
other objects. The solution can be applied
to many different food items and
is easily adaptable to fresh produce.
“Avocado industry insiders have told
us that assessing dry matter content
non-invasively is the number one desire
from the industry and we look
forward to providing such a service
to this much-loved product.”
There are a number of reported benefits
from ImpactVision’s hyperspectral
solutions. The company’s primary goal
is to help food companies increase
revenues through generating a more
consistent end-product, whilst also
reducing supply chain waste. For
growers, the non-destructive tests
will ensure more fruit ends up in the
box, and the knowledge of having
100% test coverage brings a level of
assurance that improves confidence
in product quality. Cost reduction is
the result from every one of these
factors.
In the future, Ramanan says it is likely
the technology will be improved
further, enabling more compact hardware
which can then be taken out in
the field or in the store. “Hyperspectral
sensors are rapidly decreasing in
size and price,” she says. “Within a
couple of years, they will be available
at a consumer level, integrated
into devices such as smartphones.
Food quality will then be assessed
in real-time in supermarkets and in
the field.
“We are eager to hear from fresh
produce companies who want to find
out more about hyperspectral imaging
technology and how it could create
value for their supply chains.”
www.impactvi.com
/www.impactvi.com
