Startup takes medical technology to food industry – Terra Brazil

Have you ever wondered if it were possible to accurately determine the amount of sugar in a still green fruit, anticipating the quality that it will have to mature? Or maybe check for intramuscular fat, as to whether a piece of meat is really tender? It is exactly what a scanner developed by a startup from São Carlos (SP) does. Launched in April, the SpecFit uses magnetic resonance technology similar to hospitals to map the health of food.

Plan to avoid the trauma of family succession

The physicist Daniel Consalter, a partner at FIT, company responsible for developing the technology, explains that it was developing his doctorate in the field of medical imaging when it became aware of the application of resonance in the food industry. “St. Charles is a center of research in this area of ​​resonance, and we saw the opportunity to bring this technology to market. It’s something new worldwide, and our competitors are all imported, “he says.

equipment can help smallholder cooperatives to assess the quality of inputs purchased

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The device works with a radio wave, which is directed to the food to be analyzed. It reacts and sends a new wave in response. Such a response is verified, and through it you can determine a number of variables. “The scanner can, for example, measure the amount of oil in sunflower seeds, soybeans, canola. Thus, an oil producer can buy the seeds that have higher productivity, “says Daniel.

To facilitate the application of technology, the company had a R $ 1.3 million funding for the SP develops, agency of the São Paulo State Government supports sustainable growth small and medium enterprises. Thanks to this contribution, the FIT was able to develop a device with a much lower cost to that found abroad.

“Our competitors charge from 70,000 euros (US $ 310,000), while our scanner goes for $ 50,000 (about US $ 200,000). In addition, the SpecFit is portable, performs an analysis in just 30 seconds and can be operated by someone who does not understand anything resonance area, “he adds.

Despite the relatively high values ​​for small business owners, Daniel says that the investment can compensate in certain areas. “As the scanner allows purchases to have a much higher yield, we see an interesting market in the cooperatives of small producers.”

“The equipment is also very useful for those who export fruit. In the case of papaya, for example, they need to leave the country still green, but the reader can already see your sugar level and quality, “he says.