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The Spoon

Daily news and analysis about the food tech revolution

hyperspectral imaging

P&P Optica Raises Fresh Funding for Hyperspectral Food Safety Inspection Tech

Canada’s P&P Optica (PPO) has raised an undisclosed amount of Series B funding for its food safety inspection technology, which uses hyperspectral imaging to gather quality metrics on the food inside of processing plants. 

The round was led by Ag Capital Canada, with new investor Synovus Family Office as well as existing investors Fulcrum Global Capital, Export Development Canada (EDC) and others.

Waterloo, Ontariro-based PPO says it will use the new funds to implement its system across more food processing plants in Canada and the U.S. The PPO Smart Imaging System uses hyperspectral imaging to “see” inside of foods like produce and meats. In doing so, the system is able to gather more precise information on overall food quality. For example, PPO’s tech can determine the fat-to-lean ratio for bacon and sausage, measure the tenderness of a steak, and even detect foreign matter like rubber, cardboard, or plastic. Wood, bone, and even certain types of metals can also be found in food items, and often not detectable by traditional x-ray machines.

While PPO’s physical imaging system itself is meant to be used inside the food processing plant, users can access data on food remotely, from a cloud-based dashboard. The company says that thanks to an AI element, the system can learn over time from what it sees and in doing so detect contaminants faster. 

ImpactVision is the other notable company with a hyperspectral imaging system for food producers. The company was recently acquired by Apeel, and its tech will be used to assess shelf life and quality of produce items. PPO’s system, on the other hand, is at this point more for meat products.

Being able to see inside food could potentially help companies catch safety issues before food leaves the plant, saving them from performing recalls and wasting food and money.

PPO says the new funding will be also go towards expanding the company’s analytics software, including the aforementioned AI tool.

P&P Optica Receives $1M Investment for its Hyperspectral Food Inspection

P&P Optica, a startup that uses hyperspectral imaging to assess food quality and safety, announced yesterday that it has received a $1 million investment from Export Development Canada (EDC), Canada’s Export Credit Agency (h/t to RestoBiz).

Installed on a food production line, P&P Optica’s imaging technology uses light to examine fruits, vegetables and meat to assess their qualities like protein, water, pH balance, and also detects any foreign matter that might be present. Understanding these factors allows food producers to better grade the food they are shipping while reducing food waste by not discarding food that is still good.

The Ontario, Canada-based P&P says it will use the funding to continue development of its Smart Imaging System, and expand its footprint across North America.

P&P will have some competition in the form of ImpactVision, which also uses hyperspectral imaging to assess food quality and uncover foreign objects in food production. ImpactVision has raised $2.7 million (counting shipping giant Maersk as an investor) and is among the first cohort of Chipotle’s Aluminaries accelerator program.

ImpactVision also recently revealed that its technology is being used by Beta San Miguel, Mexico’s largest sugar producer, for detection of non-magnetic foreign objects. ImpactVision’s cameras scan for contaminants in the sugar, and when a foreign object is found, the production line automatically rejects that affected area. This, in turn keeps foreign objects out of the bags of sugar in the first place, so they don’t have to be recalled after reaching the market.

Foreign matter in our food has been in the news lately as Tyson had to recall more than 36,000 pounds of chicken nuggets because they may have contained rubber.

Using hyperspectral imaging like P&P Optica’s and ImpactVision’s has the potential to mitigate those types of issues before food leaves the production line to save food producers headaches, money while reducing food waste.