Optical measurement systems in the food packaging sector and research for the non-destructive evaluation of product quality

The quality standards of food products are becoming increasingly important in our society, and have been reinforced by various food scandals in recent years. At the same time, the proportion of packaged products is constantly increasing, as the packaging itself plays a decisive role in maintaining many quality characteristics. In order to examine the quality of packaged foodstuffs, invasive analyses are still often standard. Optical measuring methods offer a possibility to determine quality parameters through the plastic. The following review therefore examines the state of the art in current research in this area and critically examines any possibilities for improvement.