Infrared thermography is a promising technology for food authenticity testing. It is non-contact, high speed, and can detect structural and compositional heterogeneities through thermal patterns.
This review (purchase required, USD $31.50) explains the principles of the technique and potential for food fraud detection. It compares and contrasts it with other techniques, including spectroscopy, electronic sensing systems (nose, tongue, and eye), as well as hyperspectral imaging,
The authors conclude that infrared thermography provides a distinct methodological paradigm, offering a novel and non-destructive avenue for food authenticity monitoring. Findings point to the promising achievements of thermography in detecting adulterants, while, its systematic advantages and methodological limitations remain insufficiently codified. Transitioning from laboratory-scale success to industrial implementation faces critical hurdles, including the dynamic nature of food fraud, the lack of standardized thermal stimulation frameworks, and the necessity of integrating thermography with sophisticated AI algorithms for latent pattern analysis. Future advancements must focus on developing integrated, scalable, and robust approaches to bridge the gap between laboratory precision and industrial efficiency requirements.
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