Parmesan Cheese Quality Inspection via CAT Scanner and Robotic Arm

Parmesan cheese is one of the best-known Italian products around the world. Its demand by international consumers is constantly growing. However, quality and ageing issues due to the traditional handling and storage techniques represent factors that hinder its commercialisation. While the parmesan cheese industry improved traditional control methods, these are manual activities that require precision. A considerable part of production cannot be commercialised. The EU-funded PARMESCAN project is developing an innovative automated cheese quality inspection system that will permit complete control of the maturity process. The system consists of a robotic arm that uses CAT imaging technology to perfectly handle and clean the cheese wheels while avoiding cracks and defects.