Detection of fecal contamination on leafy greens by hyperspectral imaging

Because the contaminated fresh produce and raw materials for food with animal fecal matter can introduce foodborne illness, it is necessary to develop an automatic inspection system to detect the fecal contamination on fresh produce. The hyperspectral fluorescence imaging system using ultraviolet-A excitation (320∼400 nm) was investigated to detect the bovine fecal contamination on the abaxial and adaxial surfaces of romaine lettuce and baby spinach leaves. An image processing algorithm to detect the fecal contamination spots for public health concern was investigated while it correctly indentifies the clean leaf surfaces. The developed algorithm could successfully detect the fecal contamination spots on the adaxial and abaxial surfaces of romaine lettuce and baby spinach.