On-line technologies for food process control
Project team: Martin Whitworth
Running: Jan 2014 – Dec 2016
Project Number: 131995
Proposal documentation
There is an ever-increasing need to transfer measurement and sensing technology from the laboratory / research arena into food manufacturing facilities (at- or on-line). A major driver is the need for rapid, sensitive measurements to enable quick reaction to changes in product quality or process conditions. This need is best met by detection and sensing solutions which can be integrated for automated control of manufacturing processes, which can also provide quality assurance data and remote monitoring of product quality and process performance. Current applications for on-line measurements of food processes include monitoring of equipment parameters such as speed, power consumption and temperature. Monitoring of product properties includes temperature monitoring of thermal processing, NIR measurement of composition, and foreign body detection. Opportunities exist to provide additional information on food processes through novel application of new and established sensing approaches. Potential benefits of on-line sensing for improved food quality, safety and reduced waste can be quantified in hundreds of millions of pounds.
Related link: MUSE-Tech project
Project outputs
- Project update: Manufacturing ‘scoping’ meeting – Feb 2017
- Project update: Quality and food safety management MIG – Jan 2017
- RSS 2016-13: Evaluation of the Food Radar system for foreign body detection
- R&D412: Review of the Food Radar system for online detection of foreign bodies
- Project update: Manufacturing Technologies MIG – May 2016
- Project update: Manufacturing Technologies MIG – May 2015
- Project update: Manufacturing Technologies MIG – Jan 2014
- New Technologies Bulletin: On-line sensing technologies for food process control
- R&D400: Review of electrical tomography for online food process control
- R&D388: On-line technologies for food process control: a review
- RSS 2015-22: Electrical Resistance Tomography for on-line measurement of food processes
- RSS 2014-56: Multi sensor technology for management of food processes
- RSS 2014-47: On-line technologies for food process control