Grant: Applied Research Tools and Instruments Grants

Southern Alberta has a rich diversity of crop production including wheat, canola, pulses, corn, potatoes, and sugar beets. The region generates over $3.11 billion in farm revenues and provides high quality raw material for over 120 established agri-food businesses located near Lethbridge, including many world-leading foodprocessors. Robust quality measurement of agri-food products throughout the supply chain is critical, asrequired by food safety regulations and increased consumer demand for high quality and safe food.The food processing industry is looking for rapid and non-destructive methods for quality and safetyinspection. Near Infrared (NIR) Hyperspectral imaging is emerging as rapid, non-destructive andmulti-analytical technology for quality and safety inspection of agri-food products with improved measurementaccuracy. Hyperspectral imaging provides the spectral information in a spatially resolved manner; therefore, each pixel of a scanned sample has its own spectrum. The vast amount of compositional information alongwith spatial labeling, can be used for quality (texture, flavor, shape, nutritional value, and composition) and safety (chemical and microbial contamination, foreign material, impurity, and adulteration) inspection ofagri-food products such as: cereals and other grains, meat, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and processed food.