This interactive webinar is hosted by Aston University as part of the Enabling Technologies & Innovation Competences Challenge and AGRI project Project.

ETICC project is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and offers FREE support and expertise in photonics, materials and computer science/AI to 50 small and medium businesses from Black Country and Greater Birmingham & Solihull areas; this support is available until the end of July 2021.

The AGRI Project is run in partnership between Aston University and Harper Adams University and is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The project provides innovation support through knowledge transfer to eligible SMEs located within the Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin region and who operate within or wish to diversify into the agri-tech and food & drink industries

This webinar was developed for the companies in Food & Drink industry, the UK's largest manufacturing sector. Photonics technologies have wide application in food processing and help improve hygiene and food security, reduce food waste and enhance the information received by the consumer. The workshop will cover methods for:

- Real time monitoring of food quality critical parameters

- Detection of food chemical composition

- Detection of pathogen bacteria, residues, and other contaminants in food matrices

- Real time measurement of fruit/produce maturity.

Agenda:

10:00 - ETICC Project overview and webinar participants’ introduction, Dr Valentina Barker, Aston University and Dr Richard Fallon, Technology Supply Chain

10:20 - Selling photonics to SMEs in the agritech sector, Prof David Webb, Aston University

10:35 - Mid-IR Spectroscopy for Detection of Food Chemical Composition, Dr Vlad Dvoyrin, Aston University

10:50 - Testing food, beverages and packaging, Dr Payal Baheti, Aston University

11:10 - Food Analysis and Quality Monitoring By Spectroscopic Sensing, Dr Raghavan Chinnambedu-Murugesan, Aston University

11:25 - Fibre Optical Sensors for Food Processing, Dr Kaiming Zhou, Aston University

12:00 - Coffee break

12:10 - Purely Plantain Chips, Janna Khul (ETICC project beneficiary)

12:20 - New Discovery: Slow Optical Cooking Technology and Its Potential Application in Food & Drink Industry, Gabriella Gardosi, Prof Misha Sumetsky, Aston University

12:30 - Hyperspectral Imaging System, Dr Kaiming Zhou, Aston University

12:35 - Demo: Hyperspectral Imaging System, Dr Kaiming Zhou, Aston University

12:40 - Q&A

13:00 - End