The Technological Institute of Castilla y León, based in Burgos, has been carrying out modernization work related to food safety of meat products and food smoking. One of the research focuses of this program is to utilize new technologies to improve and streamline food safety in meat.
In collaboration with TSK, the ITCL also aims to enhance the efficiency and safety of the food smoking process through solutions based on sensing, robotics, and artificial intelligence. A specific project called Ahumatech will begin with the creation of a wood ignition system using hot air. This innovation, by eliminating volatile or uncontrollable products and integrating sensors along with artificial vision, seeks to optimize safety in the smoking process.
The fundamental objective of all these initiatives is to find innovative solutions through science and technology to improve resource efficiency, traceability, and food safety throughout the value chain. Among the specific goals are the determination of fruit quality and traceability using artificial intelligence, as well as the implementation of advanced visualization technologies to enhance productive efficiency in food processes.
In this dynamic, advanced optical sensors and artificial intelligence are being explored for quality control and food safety. Together with TSK and Asincar, the ITCL is collaborating in the development of an advanced system for automated and real-time analysis of meat products using algorithms for hyperspectral images.
The AlimTech project, in which the ITCL participates, aims to apply new technologies, algorithms, and artificial intelligence in the agri-food sector to improve the value chain and address global challenges such as resource scarcity, pollution, food waste, and the use of fossil fuels.
In particular, an intelligent expert system for optimizing the wine fermentation process is being researched in collaboration with Bodegas Yllera. Furthermore, automating the smoking process aims to eliminate human intervention due to the high risks involved for workers.
The ITCL uses hyperspectral and thermal cameras to obtain detailed images that enable the creation of algorithms capable of analyzing the chemical characteristics of products, as part of its efforts to improve food safety and efficiency in the agri-food chain.
