Feature

Photonics to help dairy industry with new five minute scan

A new optical sensor that can check the presence of contaminants in milk and produce a detailed reading in five minutes, is set to dramatically reduce costs, wastage and antibiotic use linked to the production, quality control, and processing phases in the dairy industry.

03/10/2018 16:36:42

Scanning milk for two proteins and 10 contaminants simultaneously, the optical sensor will take measurements directly on-site at each point of the long and logistically-spread milk value chain.

Delivering a detailed reading in about five minutes, the sensor can look for any antibiotics ingested by the cows that have been transmitted to the milk. Using the collected information, companies can prevent contaminants, such as antibiotics and aflatoxin, from entering the food chain.

Across dairy farms today standard tests take days to perform, whereas this new palm-sized sensor will be the easiest way to check the presence of milk components (such as kappa-casein proteins) that are quality parameters for milk and other dairy products.

Read the full article in the October issue of DPA

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.