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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Environmental Microbial & Food Safety Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #327577
Title: Line-scan spatially offset Raman spectroscopy for inspecting subsurface food safety and quality

Author
item Qin, Jianwei - Tony Qin
item Chao, Kuanglin - Kevin Chao
item Kim, Moon

Submitted to: Proceedings of SPIE
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/2016
Publication Date: 5/15/2016
Citation: Qin, J., Chao, K., Kim, M.S. 2016. Line-scan spatially offset Raman spectroscopy for inspecting subsurface food safety and quality. Proceedings of SPIE 9864, Sensing for Agriculture and Food Quality Safety VIII, 98640C.

Interpretive Summary: ARS researchers developed a method for subsurface food inspection using a newly developed line-scan spatially offset Raman spectroscopy technique. A 785 nm laser was used as a Raman excitation source. A layered sample, which was created by placing a plastic sheet cut from the original container on top of cane sugar, was used to test the capability for subsurface food inspection. Raman spectrum from the cane sugar under the plastic sheet was resolved using self-modeling mixture analysis algorithms, demonstrating the potential of the technique for authenticating foods and ingredients through packaging. The line-scan measurement technique provides a new method for subsurface inspection of food safety and quality. This research benefits food processing industries by providing a rapid, nondestructive means to inspection packaged agricultural products.

Technical Abstract: This paper presented a method for subsurface food inspection using a newly developed line-scan spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) technique. A 785 nm laser was used as a Raman excitation source. The line-shape SORS data was collected in a wavenumber range of 0–2815 cm-1 using a detection module consisting of an imaging spectrograph and a CCD camera. A layered sample, which was created by placing a plastic sheet cut from the original container on top of cane sugar, was used to test the capability for subsurface food inspection. A whole set of SORS data was acquired in an offset range of 0–36 mm (two sides of the laser) with a spatial interval of 0.07 mm. Raman spectrum from the cane sugar under the plastic sheet was resolved using self-modeling mixture analysis algorithms, demonstrating the potential of the technique for authenticating foods and ingredients through packaging. The line-scan SORS measurement technique provides a new method for subsurface inspection of food safety and quality.