Design and development of software for objective evaluation visual characteristics of extruded foods

¹ Department of Electrical engineering, Electronics and Automation, University of Food Technology, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
² Department of Economics, entrepreneurship and management, University of Food Technologies, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
³ Department of Preservation and refrigeration technology, University of Food Technologies, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
⁴ Department of Mathematics, physics and information technologies, University of Food Technologies, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Nowadays, the rapid development of computer technologies provides numerous approaches and methods for objective non-destructive assessment of quality characteristics of different food products. The aim of this study is to present the development and implementation of a software designed for the objective evaluation of visual characteristics of extruded food products in the process of their production. Utilizing advanced methods for computer vision and digital image processing techniques, the software enables precise measurement of both color and dimensional attributes, specifically width variations, in extruded samples. The system provides a non-invasive and reproducible method for assessing product consistency, supporting quality control and process optimization in food manufacturing. The results obtained show that the developed software can be effectively used in assessing uniform color distribution during the extrusion process. The results demonstrate the software’s effectiveness in capturing subtle visual changes such as the width of extrudes, thereby contributing to more reliable product assessment and standardization in the food industry.