Objective
This project has been concerned with the development of a dedicated hybrid electronic nose to be used in Food Industry in order to improve quality of various foodstuffs. Food industries are looking for a common tool to measure odour intensity and quality in order to enable the measurement of flavours and aroma over long periods. The measurement system is based on Metal-Oxide sensors (MOS) and Quartz-Crystal microbalance platform (QCM). These technologies associated with advanced pattern recognition technique could be used in On-line quality control protocols. Use of EN techniques in Industrial Control applications provides early warning of not suitable products, improvement of process efficiency and reduction of waste.
The work has been undertaken in a programme of eight tasks. These tasks covered sensors development and testing, the development of model to compensate drift, ageing and poisoning, the comparison of Electronic Nose technique with GC/MS and sensory panel methods, leading to the definition of prototype instrument used in end-user area such as torrefactor or oak barrel producer. Prototype instruments were evaluated on industrial control applications and have closed the process loop (manufacturing of oak barrels, roasting coffee process...).
All of the major milestones and deliverables have been achieved. Prototype instrument has been installed to validate the use of EN techniques as an on-line QC tool. Remarks from End-user have been collected to adapt ergonomy to constraints of QC environment (not implemented).
The demonstration applications contemplated in the project covered targeted applications: Wine industry, Coffee, Cereals, Meat. Each industrial partners had the opportunity to validate this novel technique in the application field.
The proposed project addresses a new method for the characterisation, measurement and analysis of various foodstuffs; this will be accomplished by a technology based on an array of innovative (see point 2.3) odour sensors comprehensive of twelve Metal Oxide Sensors (MOS) and six Surface Acoustic Waves (SAW) provided with special coatings, tuned on specific applications. The project aims the development and testing of the "electronic nose" technology, included electronic odour measurement techniques, sensor arrays and signal processing, to simulate the performance of human sensory panels and to overcome some of the problems inherent in comparing organoleptic test results from different laboratories. The project results will overcome the problems affecting the presently commercialised systems for odour measuring: poor reproducibility, poisoning of sensors, lack of sensitivity, short time life, hysteresis (not reversible behaviour), and drift (see points 2.2 and 2.4). The developed method will provide a basis for the cross calibration of sensory panels in a field where it is impossible to provide true transfer standards. The proposal is directly targeted to support the implementation of fundamental principles in establishing basis for new European norms in measuring odours (i.e. framework Directive 89/109/EEC for odours of foodstuffs and packaging). In addition to off line QC, the project is likely to yield benefits for on line prediction and detection of non conforming product and hence contribute to the reduction of the environmental problem of wastes and to improved process efficiency.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyother engineering and technologiesfood technology
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsignal processing
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and films
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencepattern recognition
Topic(s)
Data not availableCall for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
EAW - Exploratory awardsCoordinator
TOULOUSE
France