Portable hyperspectral imaging system for monitoring the efficacy of sanitation procedures in produce processing plants

Numerous outbreaks of foodborne illnesses have been linked to consumption of fresh produce. Sanitation in produce processing plants is a critical step in reducing public risk of exposure to pathogenic organisms. Current methods to check the effectiveness of sanitation procedures rely on visual observation and sub-sampling tests such as use of ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) swabs. To augment existing verification methods, a portable VIS hyperspectral imaging device was developed to allow imaging entire food contact surfaces in real-time to help identify potential contaminants and to increase the effectiveness of surface sampling methods by identifying suspect sites for testing.