The potential of spectral and hyperspectral-imaging techniques for bacterial detection in food: A case study on lactic acid bacteria

In the present study, the capability of spectral and hyperspectral techniques to detect bacterial surface contamination was investigated preliminarily on gel cultures, and subsequently on sliced cooked ham. In more detail, two species of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were considered, namely Lactobacillus curvatus and Lactobacillus sakei, both of which are responsible for common alterations in sliced cooked ham.

Official methods for the detection of bacteria are based on culture techniques. These methods have limitations such as time consumption, cost, detection limits and the impossibility to analyse a large number of samples. For these reasons, the development of rapid, low-cost and non-destructive analytical methods is a task of growing interest.