“Ensuring food safety and product quality through real-time monitoring of chemical markers by integrating molecular sensors along the entire value chain from field to fork” – This is the aim of the first international Sensor FINT´21 conference , organized by the School of Biotechnology of the Catholic University of Portugal, which will take place on September 30th and October 1st in the city of Porto.
The importance of holding this conference is linked to the growing need of the food industry to provide information about the products we consume, in order to meet quality standards and protect products from food fraud. The idea for all those who attend the event is to get an overview of non-destructive chemical markers and the challenges applied to the agri-food chain.
Recent developments in technology and in the analysis of “big data” in the food industry contribute to gradual changes that aim to transform the role of ensuring the integrity of food, from one that is only one of compliance, to a new one that encompasses a wide range of concerns , including solutions for the quality, safety and authenticity of food. Non-destructive Spectroscopic Sensors – Non-destructive Spectroscopic Sensors (NDSS) allow a fast, non-destructive and environmentally safe assessment of various parameters in a variety of food products. Currently, most applications of these technologies in the food industry are done online. Industry requires that NDSS be deployed on-site and preferably online for full process control across the entire food chain.
“We intend for Sensor FINT to be a knowledge sharing network that combines experience in research, manufacturing, training and technology transfer work in relation to NDSS. The aim is to develop solutions to existing and emerging problems in the control of non-invasive food processing based on the “intelligent food control system”, as well as the development of a cadre of young experienced researchers who will convert scientific results into a reality that meets industrial needs. Above all, we want it to be a sharing platform between researchers, academia and the food industry in an environment of scientific excellence” – says António Silva Ferreira, professor and researcher at the School of Biotechnology of the Catholic University in Porto.
The FINT’21 Sensor will take place in two modes: face-to-face and virtual, and will feature food scientists and teams of engineers from industrial companies involved in product development and innovation, control authorities, regulators and risk evaluators, as well as researchers, professionals and students from different countries with the aim of disseminating and sharing the results of their research work.
Throughout the event, there will be several workshops and every morning there will be a plenary session and several oral presentations. On the 30th, Thursday, in the afternoon, there will be sessions of companies in the sector. The three main themes of the conference will be: Intelligent sensors in the agro-food industry, Challenges in Process Control (PAT) for Food Analysis and Data Flow Detection for actuators in industrial environments.
