Hyperspectral imaging of avocados is here

Current quality assurance methods for avocados and other produce generally involve randomly selecting individual pieces of fruit and performing various destructive tests to determine information such as sugar levels, pH and ripeness. Today, the percentage of produce that can be sampled ranges from 0.1 to 3 percent and because every product is different, applying statistical analyses based on sample testing leads to inconsistency of end product fueling rejection rates, shrink and customer complaints. But what if it was possible to analyze 100 percent of products, without performing destructive tests? This is what one company in California is saying it has achieved by applying a space technology to food supply chains.

ImpactVision is bringing to the market hyperspectral imaging technology, capable of analyzing an entire packing line of produce. CEO Abi Ramanan is hoping that this technology will help to reduce food waste by accurately predicting ripeness and other key freshness measures as well as identifying foreign matter to prevent product recalls.

"Globally, a staggering 45 percent of fruits and vegetables are wasted and much of that has to do with how products are processed through the supply chain," she exclaimed. "There is a huge amount of inconsistency when it comes to testing avocados for dry matter, for example. It is largely based on destructive tests that sample perhaps 0.1 to 3 percent of products. Of course, with the natural variance in food products, statistical models are not sufficient to provide quality information for 100 percent of products, particularly at volumes of tens of millions or even billions of units per year."

The company’s product is a package: firstly, a hyperspectral imaging camera which they source off the shelf combined with ImpactVision’s proprietary software which interprets hyperspectral data and sends back actionable information on ripeness, freshness or shelf-life. The cameras are designed to sit on top of packing line conveyors and analyze every 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, their 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 said they are 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 optimization. "Our solution is modular and is designed to integrate with existing infrastructure and can be retrofitted onto existing conveyor belts," Ramanan explained. "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 optimizing distribution."

ImpactVision’s avocado dry matter system will be launched in 2019 and their first commercial product is a system specializing in non-magnetic foreign object detection, in order to detect contaminants that X-ray machines and metal detectors are not able to, which they say will help prevent costly and wasteful product recalls.

"This October, we will be launching our first commercial product," shared Ramanan. "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,” she added.

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 percent test coverage brings a level of assurance that improves confidence in product quality. Cost reduction is the result from every one of these factors. 

"The 100 percent product coverage can provide a guarantee of quality passing through," Ramanan said. "The cost benefits from not having to perform time-consuming and destructive tests are an excellent outcome of this solution as growers look to continue to be more competitive in the industry."

In the future, Ramanan said 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 noted. "Within a couple of years they will be available at a consumer level, integrated into devices such as smart-phones. Food quality will then be assessed in real-time in supermarkets and in the field, and ImpactVision will play a key role in building the food system of the future."

Ramanan concluded, "ImpactVision 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."

For more information:

Abi Ramanan 

Tel: +1 (707) 939-5216