SAFETYPACK · Innovative non- intrusive laser gas sensors on food production for real time quality/safety in line control of food packaging and bottling systems

SAFETYPACK aims the realisation of a new contactless non- intrusive laser gas sensors that will provide the food manufacturing industry with a real time in line control technology that can perform quality and safety control of a wide range of sealed food.In food packaging industry the use of gases other than air in the process of manufacturing and sealing of food items for distribution to the consumer chain (supermarkets, retail points, etc) has progressively grown. It follows that the precise measurement and control of the inside atmosphere represent a requirement in the food and packaging industries. The control will be made in-line after closure or later to monitor the integrity of the seal and its evolution in time. Inline non intrusive laser gas sensors, contactless based on laser spectroscopy, will be developed and validated in the project timeframe. It can operate both on (partially) transparent (food trays and bags, bottles) as well in almost non-transparent containers.What is new in our proposal is the possibility to measure gas with laser spectroscopy within diffuse materials, such as paper, plastic and food itself with a new method of inspection and its adaptation to measuring closed containers from food trays, to bags, to milk containers to bottles of different shape, colors, transparent and not transparent.The sensors will be demonstrated and validated with two real time in line pilot installations regarding bread, tortilla and cheese production.The S/T objectives will provide:•Non introusive real time in line food packaging inspection.•Fast & High precision accuracy gas sensor.•Sensor available for exploitation in food industry.SAFETYPACK fully responds to the topic extending the in line control of safety and quality control on food processing, allowing the emerging of new hi-tech products to be applied to a large variety of packaging, supporting the overall objective to secure quality, safety and shelf life for European food products.