University Pigs Out on Spectroscopy

(Keith Weller, Agricultural Research Service/USDA)

McGill University engineering researchers in Montreal, Quebec have developed a new meat inspection technology based on spectroscopy that analyzes light waves. Their research was conducted with Agriculture Canada and the nation’s pork industry.

The spectroscopy process involves the analysis of the wave lengths of visible and invisible light produced by matter. By measuring the wave lengths of reflected light that pork cuts release, the researchers discovered they could determine the color, texture, and moisture emanating from the meat. For the meat industry, the technique is a departure from current lab inspection processes that require destroying the test sample. The researchers plan to extend the technique to evaluate other aspects of meat quality, such as marbling, and fat content.

Michael Ngadi in McGill’s Department of Bioresource Engineering says the technology is getting closer to commercialization, and seeking out partners to take the technology to market. He believes the technology is good for the industry. “This is about giving industry workers better tools to do their job,” Ngadi says, adding “Computer-aided analysis of meat will result in higher-quality jobs, optimal production, and exports that fit more closely with the target markets.”

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