Background

Smart technology needs to be developed in addressing automated quality assessment throughout agro-food chains. Data resulting from new sensors and sensor applications need to be more and more combined, in real-time through smart data analysis and using AI (multi-sensor approach). The aim for end-users in agro-food is a fast and robust quality prediction for a wide range of agro- and (processed) food products to support better decision-making in sorting, processing, and packing. Most ideal would be the combination of targeted and precise mass spectrometry with near-infrared sensing which provides a more general chemical fingerprint of the product. The SpotDetect project aims to produce an affordable mass spectrometry sensor in combination with a near-infra red sensor that can be used on-site without sample preparation. The current technology development in low-cost mass spectrometry techniques and near-infrared has advanced far enough that this new sensor combination can be produced as prototypes and tested in agri-food (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Drawbacks of current quality and contamination analysis are addressed by implementation of the SpotDetect of NG Sensors in quality testing processes.

Acknowledgement

Dit project is mede mogelijk gemaakt door het Europees Fonds voor Regionale Ontwikkeling in het kader van REACT-EU.

This project is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the REACT-EU programme

Objectives

The overall objective of the project is the demonstration of the MVP user-friendly portable NIR-MS (Figure 2) of SpotDetect as a solution for on-site testing of food contaminants namely aquaculture water contaminants, organic origin authenticity, fruit quality parameters and volatile organic contaminants and compounds. This will be achieved by the following objectives; SpotDetect will be

1. Rapid and real-time (N IR-MS analysis in less than 2 minutes)
2. Can measure liq uid and solid foo d samples via non-contact analysis.
3. MS component sensitive (ppt, parts per trillion), IR 1 part per million.
4. Low weight because of the usage of unprecedented materials(patent pending, PCT/EP2021/055467) (approx. 10 kgs) hence can be easily carried across all domestic terrains
5. Can be handled by anyone with less or no technical knowledge – i.e., by providing application-specific capabilities and a simple outputGreen or Red (positive / negative)
6. Cloud-based blockchain proprietary (patent pending, EP20175456.1)technology ensures full traceability of food contamination and prevents fraud caused by data tampering.

Figure 2: Spot detect Minimal Viable Product concept and individual compounds.