Title : Intelligent Systems for Food Processing: Challenges and Innovations
Abstract:
The integration of intelligent systems into food processing presents a transformative opportunity to address complex challenges and foster innovation. This approach leverages advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and the Internet of Things (IoT) to optimize and automate food processing operations. Innovations like machine vision systems for real-time quality control, AI-driven predictive maintenance, and sensor fusion for precise monitoring of critical parameters (e.g., temperature, humidity, microbial activity) are revolutionizing the industry. By enabling automation and informed decision-making, these systems reduce human error, optimize resource utilization, and enhance overall efficiency. An optimization strategy based on machine learning links controlled variables—such as time, temperature, and airflow—to specific quality attributes, establishing criteria for optimization. This adaptive approach is exemplified by its application in the intelligent drying of medicinal herbs.
The concept of intelligent drying is built on identifying critical control points (CCPs) and optimizing drying conditions to ensure product quality. It involves five key steps: determining critical quality attributes (e.g., moisture content, shrinkage, color) and developing soft sensors for attributes not measurable in real time; creating a product observer using machine vision to link image features with food quality attributes through AI tools such as artificial neural networks (ANN) and fuzzy logic; developing a process observer to measure operational conditions like temperature and humidity; using machine learning to integrate product and process data, enabling real-time adjustments based on quality sensitivity; and formulating dynamic multi-objective control strategies for both local and global optimization of the drying process. The implementation of this system in ginseng drying significantly improved efficiency, sustainability, and product quality, demonstrating its potential to revolutionize food processing practices.
