DeteKTiL: Detection of plastic particles in food production with hyperspectral imaging

The aim of the KMU innovation project DeteKTiL is the developement of a detection system that is able to recognize transparent plastic parts via their chemical structure in the infrared range. For this purpose, a conveyor belt system is being designed that ensures an optimally illuminated 360° scan of the food in the process and thus simultaneously enables the detection of the chemical-physical structure of foreign particles by means of a spectral camera and thus ensures their automatic ejection.

The overriding added value of this project is the reduction in the number of product recalls. This results in a lower health risk for consumers (no ingestion of plastic particles), an economic advantage for companies and CO2 savings due to less faulty production, destruction of food with foreign bodies and less logistical effort.