Periodic Reporting for period 3 - GRACED (Ultra-compact, low-cost plasmo-photonic bimodal multiplexing sensor platforms as part of a holistic solution for food quality monitoring)
Reporting period: 2023-07-01 to 2024-12-31
The continuously increasing consumer demand for fresh fruits and vegetables also increases the risk of microbiological and chemical contamination. Fresh produce remains the leading cause of foodborne illness outbreaks. Current techniques for inspection are timely and costly with tests carried out in random batches at production and processing facilities, not covering the entire value chain. GRACED developed a novel solution based on a low-cost bio-photonic sensor, capable of simultaneously and quickly detecting different analytes of interest throughout the value chain. The sensor has been used in two versions of a sensing device, developed within the project: a portable instrument version and a fully autonomous device version suitable for unattended deployment in fields. The approach has been validated in real-world pilots representing different production systems. A data analytics platform & decision-support system (DSS) was also developed, to gather data from the measurements performed by the devices and assist in decision-making processes.
The heart of the GRACED project and its main outcome is the GRACED bimodal plasmo-photonic sensing platform (The GRACED chip). Different versions of the chip were produced during the project lifetime, in an attempt to optimize its performance. The final version of the GRACED chip is capable of simultaneously detect seven analytes of interest for the food industry and has achieved excellent performance. From a photonics point of view, the bulk optical sensitivity achieved is a record value. The sensor will be patented and will be exploited by the involved partner. Another key project result is the GRACED device. This is the instrument in which the GRACED chip is installed in order to run an analysis. It is responsible for delivering the sample to the chip and reading out the measurement. Its main module is the optical subsystem. The whole device is relatively compact (70x70x38 cm). For completely autonomous operation in the field when dealing with irrigation water quality analysis, the GRACED device can be coupled with the GRACED IoT add-on module. This module allows taking a sample from the water stream, automatically preparing it for the analysis and then cleaning the device, in order to avoid any human intervention for a prolonged period. The system is completed with the GRACED DSS, which is responsible for data collection and advance statistics. The GRACED system has been tested and validated in four real-world pilots in Europe. Results have been widely disseminated though various channels, while partners have also prepared exploitation plans for the post-project period. Open access data can be found in the project’s Zenodo community.
In terms of progress beyond the state-of-the-art (SotA) in portable devices for contamination checks along food value chains, the GRACED device will allow making a measurement in less than 1 hour. This is significantly faster than current techniques (requiring several hours), while the cost of the analysis is also kept low (cheap consumables). The device is also highly reconfigurable to detect different types of contaminants, depending on the application. In terms of the GRACED photonic sensor, this is also beyond SotA, due to the compact sensor size and bi-modal interferometer approach, but also because of the possibility of integrating multiple sensing elements on the same chip. The bulk optical sensitivity achieved with the final GRACED chip is a record value.