A complete non-contact colour measurement and imaging solution. There could be food and drink that cannot be measured for colour using the DigiEye System The DigiEye System A complete non-contact colour measurement and imaging solution. … it’s just that we haven’t found any yet!

Who are VeriVide? Manufacture equipment for visual sensory assessment of colour and appearance. Based in the United Kingdom Traditionally closely linked with the textile industry. Main product range is visual assessment cabinets. Officially launched the DigiEye unit in 2003.

Characterized SLR Camera. Calibrated Monitor & Printer. What is DigiEye? DigiEye is a digital colour imaging system with many proven applications in the Food Sector. Offers the ability to consistently and reliably measure colour & appearance using a non-contact method. Characterized SLR Camera. Recording colour data at millions of points. Calibrated Monitor & Printer. Accurate on-screen product representation. Colour accurate photographic images. Enclosed DigiEye Cube. Eliminating all ambient light. Product capture in consistent lighting. LED corrected daylight simulator. Both angled and diffuse lighting.

In terms or colour measurement. What have we learned about the industry? In terms or colour measurement. Similarities between the seafood industry and the textile industry 30 years ago. Seafood industry is concerned with colour but generally rely on visual assessment. Lack of understanding or suitable equipment for instrumental assessment. The industry is progressive and always looking for ways to improve quality.

Seafood for the consumer The visual aspect of food, its colour and overall appearance, is one of the most important factors influencing the consumer. There is a direct correlation between colour appearance and the product’s quality, maturity and the perception of being ‘fit for purpose’.

Visual assessment in the seafood industry The most common type of assessment for colour and appearance. Highly trained visual assessors and sensory panels. No matter how well trained, there will always be a degree of subjectivity with visual assessment as it depends upon. The person assessing. The type and quality of the illumination being used. The angle of observation. To become a reliable & skilled assessor takes time and training.

Instrumental assessment in the food industry Traditionally using a spectrophotometer / Colorimeter. with restrictions and limitation. . . . Works well on flat, opaque objects. limited by the diversity of textures and surfaces of food products. Limited by aperture size, averaging the colour of the selected area. Results may bear no relationship to how the human eye sees colour.

Instrumental assessment in the food industry The DigiEye System is different from traditional instrumental systems. Digitally capturing….. Colour, texture & appearance. High resolution camera - Great precision. Consistent and repeatable results. Calibrated images – Colour visualisation. Measures colour in context not in isolation. Colour as seen by the consumer.

Illumination can be either diffuse or angled depending on application DigiEye illumination Illumination can be either diffuse or angled depending on application Angled Illumination Highlights surface details. Ideal for accurate appearance for photographic standards Diffuse Illumination Flattens the images. Ideal for colour measurement

Colour Measurement DigiEye applications We can see that the colour of the Salmon flesh is very different between the two fillets. Using a traditional instrumental system the sinew & texture would influence the colour measurement. Note that not all the fillet is measured. We have excluded any elements that would have a negative influence on the colour We can now repeat the measurement on the second Fillet and compare

Percentage Distributions DigiEye applications Percentage Distributions This Salmon fillet has a large amount of sinew between the flakes. We can quantify this. The flesh of the fish is approximately 74% of the visible area This type of quantitative analysis can be used for a range of surface characteristics

Case study – Fish Freshness DigiEye applications Case study – Fish Freshness Campden BRI used the DigiEye system for a project funded by Seafish The project was to establish if freshness can be linked to visual appearance It was found that freshness correlated well to the colour of the pupil of the eye For full details please see the exhibitor for the case study * All images from project published with permission from Campden BRI & Seafish – The UK cross-industry seafood body

DigiEye applications – the next steps? Arising from our involvement with companies in the seafood industry we intend to add... Numerical measurements. Surface area of a product . Physical dimensions. Selection tools more bespoke to the new application . Increased functionality and user friendly interface. Possibility of bespoke ‘scales’ for specific industry sectors. Acceptability for appearance reduced to a single number. Instant feedback. Will be designed with specific industry input. Reduction in time to train visual assessors.

DigiEye applications – bespoke scales We have the potential to ‘digitize’ visual assessment scales This would allow the objective assessment of produce The ‘Roche Salmofan’ scale is a good example of this You would measure an actual fillet and DigiEye would compare it to the scale

“ ” The DigiEye System Manufactured in the UK by VeriVide Ltd Registered under BS EN ISO 9001 Certificate No. 3393. “ VeriVide Limited. Quartz Close Warrens Business Park Enderby, Leicester. LE19 4SG United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 116 284 7790 +44 (0) 783 660 5374 Fax: +44 (0) 116 284 7799 Email: enquires@verivide.com g.atkins@verivide.com www.verivide.com/digieye www.digieye.co.uk I believe DigiEye is well placed to become the default colour measurement system for the Food Industry. ”