Scientists at UVigo develop an innovative system to combat food fraud

In recent years, public institutions have intensified their efforts to ensure the authenticity and integrity of food products in response to the increasing cases of food fraud. These situations not only have significant economic consequences but can also pose risks to human health. Ensuring food authenticity not only helps identify the nature, composition, and quality of products but also facilitates the detection of potential contamination and adulteration.

In this context, it is essential to develop analytical methods and systems that are agile, precise, and accessible for food verification. New technologies can play a key role in this process by providing advanced tools to enhance quality control measures.

With this objective in mind, the University of Vigo is leading the SmartControl project, which has been selected in the national call for Knowledge Generation projects. Under the coordination of Professor Jesús Simal Gándara, from the the Agro-environmental and Agricultural and Food Research Group (AA1), this study focuses on developing an innovative system to certify the authenticity of seeds, flours, and powdered or textured products derived from cereals, legumes, and nuts. To achieve this, the project relies on the use of hyperspectral imaging and machine learning techniques, which will improve the accuracy of detecting possible alterations in the analyzed products.

The project, with a budget of €212,500, will run until August 2027 and brings together a multidisciplinary team of specialists in various fields, including food technology, industrial and computer engineering, chemistry, and pharmacy. Additionally, experts in chemical analysis, food processing, image processing technologies, and artificial intelligence are collaborating. This combination of expertise allows the project to address technical challenges and develop innovative solutions to ensure the quality and authenticity of food products.

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