Vision technology rejects unsuitable olives
Olive oil is scientifically proven to benefit health and has become increasingly popular among consumers in wealthier countries such as Australia, China and the United States. Southern Europe is both famed for its olive oil and responsible for nearly 70 % of global production. The highest oil quality is known as extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and is made from pure, cold-pressed olives, unlike regular olive oil that comprises a blend of both cold-pressed olives and processed oils. Effectively sorting the olives according to their quality and/or maturity before oil production commences is crucial to ensure the highest quality in a sector moving towards intensive cultivation, mechanical harvesting and large-capacity processing plants. The EU-funded EVOOLUTION project developed an advanced sorting solution that gathers information on each individual fruit entering the system at a rate of millions of olives per hour, removing defective olives before they can enter the oil mill. “The technology can handle any issues concerning the quality of olives, anywhere in the world and for any type of olive grove,” says Carlos de Miguel, business director of the coordinating SME Multiscan Technologies SL.
Only the best will do
The advanced sorting solution will help to ensure the efficient classification of olives before they are processed. “Unwanted defective, damaged, overripe or ground picked olives often enter the oil mill by mistake, reducing oil quality. If the resulting oil cannot be categorised as EVOO, its market value is then greatly lower,” de Miguel explains. The technology comprises a state-of-the-art high-frequency multispectral vision system for high detection efficiency, together with advanced algorithms and modelling. “The system measures the olives’ physical properties and maturity index (MI) to ensure that defective and unwanted specimens are removed and don’t enter the milling phase. The advanced modelling and precise measurement of the olive MI are important for adjusting the organoleptic profile of the EVOO,” he adds. Once designed and built, the vision system was tested with samples of olives supplied by collaborating growers. “The prototype was installed in oil mills in Chile, Portugal and Spain and validated under real-world conditions during the harvesting season. End-user trials in oil mills from both Europe and South America helped ensure that the EVOOLUTION technology perfectly matched the needs of the oil producers,” de Miguel notes.
Wide application in the food industry
EVOOLUTION technology will provide efficient sorting at the high processing volumes required by the industry. EVOO producers will therefore be able to guarantee quality regardless of external factors in the groves, extend the time window for obtaining higher grade EVOO, modulate the organoleptic profile of the oil and gather valuable data about the incoming fruit. This translates into higher revenues and lower potential losses and paves the way for sustainable, high-quality olive oil. The know-how developed will also prove very useful for similar applications within the food industry. “EVOOLUTION can and will be employed in other sorting applications within the food industry, such as fresh or processed fruit and vegetables, nuts, etc.,” concludes de Miguel.
Keywords
EVOOLUTION, olives, sorting, EVOO, multispectral vision system, maturity index, extra virgin olive oil