Method and System for Detecting Fecal and Ingesta Contamination on the Carcasses of Meat Animals During and After Slaughter using Visible Light Fluorescent Spectroscopy

Technology Description:

The invention detects ingesta and fecal contamination on animal carcasses using fluorescent spectroscopy as a way to reduce or eliminate pathogenic organisms. Illuminating carcass surfaces with ultra-violet rays (UV) or visible light can detect emission of specific wavelengths, indicating the presence of harmful microorganisms and/or fecal material. The invention supplements current methods, such as visual inspection and microbiological culture analysis, which are labor intensive, time consuming and insensitive. A variety of light sources, such as lasers, light emitting diodes (LED) and arc lamps, can be used to illuminate animal carcasses surfaces and elicit florescent signals of contamination. Pathogens account for 33 million human illnesses and 9,000 deaths annually. Economic losses range from 2.9 billion to 6.7 billion annually.

Reference:

Please refer to Patent Number 5,914,247, which issued on June 22, 1999.

Thomas A. Casey	Mark A. Rasmussen
Enteric Diseases & Food Safety	Metabolic Disease & Immunology Research
Ames, IA 50010	Ames, IA 50010
(515) 239-8376	(515) 239-8350
(515) 239-8458 (fax)	(515) 239-8458 (fax)

Industry Keywords:

laser, photonics, meat processing, food safety, computer, software, ultra-violet, LED, carcass, florescent, biotechnology