Hyperspectral imaging – an emerging process analytical tool for food quality and safety control

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is an emerging platform technology that integrates conventional imaging and spectroscopy to attain both spatial and spectral information from an object. Although HSI was originally developed for remote sensing, it has recently emerged as a powerful process analytical tool for non-destructive food analysis. This paper provides an introduction to hyperspectral imaging: HSI equipment, image acquisition and processing are described; current limitations and likely future applications are discussed. In addition, recent advances in the application of HSI to food safety and quality assessment are reviewed, such as contaminant detection, defect identification, constituent analysis and quality evaluation.