Rourkela: Researchers at National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela have secured a patent for a system capable of rapidly detecting and measuring adulteration in spices and other food products. Addressing the global food safety challenge, the developed technology combines fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy with advanced machine learning models to deliver accurate results.In a press release issued on April 27, NIT-R stated, “Traditional food adulteration detection methods such as chromatography, or molecular techniques, are resource-intensive and require longer time to deliver results, making them less suitable for rapid and routine testing. The system developed by NIT researchers provides a rapid, non-destructive and cost-effective alternative suitable for real-time deployment in quality control laboratories and industrial processing units.”“FTIR spectroscopy is a technique used to identify organic and some inorganic materials by measuring how they absorb infrared light. During food checks, the developed system collects these patterns and processes them using machine learning models,” the release added.Unlike conventional methods that only show whether the food product is adulterated or not, the developed technology measures the level of adulteration of food within seconds. This capability is essential for food processing industries and regulatory bodies that require precise measurements to ensure compliance and maintain product quality.As the next step, the research team aims to collaborate with industry partners for conducting pilot-scale studies and validating the system under real-world conditions. Additionally, they plan to conduct experiments under different conditions to extend its detection capability beyond spices.
