Abstract
Numerous outbreaks of foodborne illnesses have been linked to consumption of fresh produce. Sanitation in produce processing plants is a critical step in reducing public risk of exposure to pathogenic organisms. Current methods to check the effectiveness of sanitation procedures rely on visual observation and sub-sampling tests such as use of ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) swabs. To augment existing verification methods, a portable VIS hyperspectral imaging device was developed to allow imaging entire food contact surfaces in real-time to help identify potential contaminants and to increase the effectiveness of surface sampling methods by identifying suspect sites for testing. © 2011 IEEE.