The solution proposed by our group focuses on reducing the losses of the food industry in the production phase, in particular, in the dairy and meat sectors. FAO establishes that 38% of the total energy consumption in the world food system is used to produce food that is lost or spoiled, making it clear that reducing waste is key to reduce the ecological footprint of the sector.

Optical systems capable of reducing solids loss during cheese production are available, through control of curd firmness and/or syneresis, as well as monitoring changes in the raw material, such as the size of the casein micelles, or the emulsifying and foaming capacity of whey proteins. It is also applied in the cooking of meat emulsions to reduce losses.

The system is based on a set of custom fiber optic sensors, made under request, which can be used at the laboratory level and incorporated into industrial equipment. For the first time, a technology of this type is introduced that can be configured inline, which is also cheaper and faster than those currently on the market and allows decision-making and corrections during the production process. This optimization of processes provides, as an additional benefit, a reduction in energy consumption.

Currently, various food producing companies (end-users), machinery manufacturers for the agri-food industry, as well as integrator and photonics companies have expressed interest in our solution.