Oxygen measuring laser will set new food quality standard - GasPorOx

GasPorOx, which is developing the laser following research at Lund University in Sweden, believes its laser has the potential to become the standard measuring technique for closed food packaging containing shelf-life extending gases.

Many food products, including minced meat, bread and fruit juice are packaged in a protective, shelf-life extending gas, but at the moment there are limited methods for checking whether packaging is still airtight and contains the correct gas.

The laser, which will be the first non-destructive method developed for the measurement of gas composition in closed packaging, will take “guessing out of the equation,” ​according to the company.

GasPorOx CEO Maria Goth told FoodProductionDaily.com: “With our technology you can know for sure that a package is airtight, throughout the value chain from producer to retailer.”​

New industry standard​

Goth added: “I do think our technology has the potential to create a new industry standard, and become a standard measurement technique for new and existing packaging material.” ​

“As our laser technology is non-intrusive we can measure over time to get data on changes in one sample or measure several or all packages.”​

The system works by shining a laser beam into the packaging and studying the light that reflects back. The equipment analyses whether the gas composition in the packaging is correct while measuring the amount of oxygen present.

Sealed food packaging usually includes carbon dioxide or nitrogen, but little or no oxygen to prevent oxidisation, bacteria growth and decay.

GasPorOx believes that within two years the method could be used as a means of quality control in production when items are originally packaged.

Commercialising the technology​

“We have only recently started commercialising the technology but are already swamped with enquiries, from food and packaging companies,” ​added Goth.

“Our product portfolio caters for the whole chain, from the packaging producers wanting to make sure their packaging is gas tight, the food producers who want to quality assure all or many packages before leaving the factory but also retailers wanting to check shelf life in the shop to avoid faulty packages reaching the consumers.” ​

“The more we talk to the industry the more we realise how great the need is to be able to measure different gases inside of packages without breaking the seal!” ​

GasPorOx expect to have its first product on the market later in the autumn.