Sub-Surface Produce Imager Utilising Microwave Technologies

Every year a portion of harvested fruit and vegetables do not reach the supermarket shelves as a result of wastage created by rigorous quality control testing or through incorrect classification during the process. The problem stems from the inability for a tester to observe the internal status of a fresh product without resorting to cutting and destroying the item. This project will use innovative and safe technology from the security and medical imaging markets to create a bench top and factory installed imager capable of classifying fresh produce without the need for destructive testing. With the retail sales value of fruit and vegetables in the UK at £10.8 bn and 8 million tonnes of raw produce, even a fraction of percentage savings produce a significant impact.