Project

Microscopy expertise

This project is designed to provide for the retention of the RIKILT Institute for Food Safety's microscopy expertise and infrastructure for visual research to meet current and future demands within the context of Dutch and European legislation. These subjects provide support to the examination of samples carried out for the Customs Laboratory as part of the ‘Examination of samples of agricultural and horticultural produce for Customs’ project (WOT-02-005-009). The project will also result in spin-off in the form of microscopy methods for the broad and important field of establishing the identity and authenticity of food and feed.

Method

The research is divided into a number of steps.

a) Examination of the feasibility of using image analysis and knowledge systems to identify rice and cereals in accordance with the Combined Nomenclature requirements. The hardware and software required for this work will be procured on the basis of the Combined Nomenclature identification requirements.

b) The conversion of the descriptions and specified parameters for the product groups from 1001 to 1006 inclusive into properties that can be measured using image analysis or which need to be formalised for identification using a knowledge system. To this end the sub-categories of product groups 1001 to 1006 inclusive will be entered in a knowledge system.

c) The use of the systems to examine samples collected in practice to validate the systems. This will be carried out using ten samples of wheat (group 1001), 25 samples of rice (group 1006) and ten samples of other cereals (groups 1002 to 1005 inclusive: rye, barley, oats and maize).

Project results

The retention and development of the knowledge required for the performance of microscopy analyses for the Customs Laboratory. The technology that is now available provides for the partial automatic collection of data (image analysis) and for the formalisation and registration of knowledge (knowledge systems).


Publications


This project is designed to provide for the retention of the RIKILT Institute for Food Safety's microscopy expertise and infrastructure for visual research to meet current and future demands within the context of Dutch and European legislation. These subjects provide support to the examination of samples carried out for the Customs Laboratory as part of the ‘Examination of samples of agricultural and horticultural produce for Customs’ project (WOT-02-005-009). The project will also result in spin-off in the form of microscopy methods for the broad and important field of establishing the identity and authenticity of food and feed.

Method

The research is divided into a number of steps.

a) Examination of the feasibility of using image analysis and knowledge systems to identify rice and cereals in accordance with the Combined Nomenclature requirements. The hardware and software required for this work will be procured on the basis of the Combined Nomenclature identification requirements.

b) The conversion of the descriptions and specified parameters for the product groups from 1001 to 1006 inclusive into properties that can be measured using image analysis or which need to be formalised for identification using a knowledge system. To this end the sub-categories of product groups 1001 to 1006 inclusive will be entered in a knowledge system.

c) The use of the systems to examine samples collected in practice to validate the systems. This will be carried out using ten samples of wheat (group 1001), 25 samples of rice (group 1006) and ten samples of other cereals (groups 1002 to 1005 inclusive: rye, barley, oats and maize).

Project results

The retention and development of the knowledge required for the performance of microscopy analyses for the Customs Laboratory. The technology that is now available provides for the partial automatic collection of data (image analysis) and for the formalisation and registration of knowledge (knowledge systems).


Publications