Smart Spectroscopic sensors in agrifood and Internet of Things (IoT)- METROFOOD -IT

Collection of ENEA technology and expertise

Smart Spectroscopic sensors in agrifood and Internet of Things (IoT)- METROFOOD -IT

The spectroscopic sensors developed at ENEA Frascati are sensors operating in the visible (400-700 nm) and infrared (400-4000 cm-1) spectrums. Using the change in the vibrational state of molecules as a result of the excitation of light, the sensors can determine in real time the fingerprints of the chemical compounds present in a food sample.The spectral differences characteristic of each product allow a rapid screening of its quality. The sensors can be applied to both liquid and solid matrices.

Application sectors

Agro - foodOtherBuilding technologies for infrastructure monitoring and safetyTechnologies for the environment and circular economyTransportation - Land and marine mobility vehicles and systemsLife sciences and health applications

Problem to solve

Food quality and safety is an issue of increasing concern to the public and manufacturers. Smart spectroscopical sensors, even portable ones, are able to determine the biochemical profile of food and any deliberate or accidental contamination. Spectroscopy in the visible and infrared spectrum detects the molecular 'fingerprint' of the product to determine its quality, origin and possible safety fraud, so that individual products can be removed or recalled using biological methods. re

Description

The most commonly used techniques to assess the quality and possible contamination of agri-food products are destructive and random sampling. However, these methods require time-consuming extraction and analysis, which does not allow on-line analysis, as well as specialised personnel. Given the cost of analysis, random sampling is the method of choice. Therefore, an accurate and reliable instrument is needed that can measure in real time on a large number of more representative samples. Spectroscopic sensors developed at ENEA in Frascati can meet this requirement. They detect, in real time and in a non-destructive way, the distinctive chemical compounds of each product analysed, by means of their "molecular fingerprints", which can be used to compare samples. The spectral differences specific to each product allow rapid screening of the quality of each product. The sensors can be applied to both liquid and solid matrices.

Innovative aspects and advantages

Easy to use
No or negligble sample handling
Non-invasive
Real time detection

Technological Maturity 2-3

Strengths

Cost
Social/economic relevance
Legal/regulatory content
Efficiency/productivity/performance
Innovation

Admissible applications

Non-destructive diagnostics for quality and safety in the food chain
Remote connection of sensors, Internet of Things, with other partner for food safety and quality
Smart sensors for assessing the origin of food products
Spectroscopic diagnostics for food fraud detection

Research group involved

Lai Antonia NUC-TECFIS-DIM ;Almaviva Salvatore NUC-TECFIS-DIM ;Artuso Florinda NUC-TECFIS-DIM ;Ciceroni Claudio NUC-TECFIS-DIM ;Francucci Massimo NUC-TECFIS-DIM ;Giardina Isabella NUC-TECFIS-DIM ;Pasquo Alessandra NUC-TECFIS-DIM ;Petrignani Ilaria NUC-TECFIS-DIM ;Pollastrone Fabio NUC-TECFIS-DIM ;Puiu Adriana NUC-TECFIS-DIM ;Zoani Claudia SSPT-AGROS

Revision date

03-06-2025

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