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Mobile TC (truck)

GINYS-IRTA-001
Maria Font i Furnols
Responsable
maria.font@irta.cat | 934674040 | ORCID | PRC page
FACILITY WEBSITE
Computed tomography (CT) allows you to see, in a non-invasive way, the composition of materials or products. For this reason, it can be applied to live animals in order to carry out genetic improvement studies, growth curves, studies on fat deposition according to diet, genetics, sex, age, etc. It can also be applied to animal carcasses (or pieces) to obtain its tissue composition as well as other relevant quality characteristics such as fat and muscle thickness, areas, volumes, etc. In this sense, it is being applied in channel classification issues, in order to obtain the percentage of lean of these and use it as a reference system for classification equipment in the slaughter line.
CT also has important potential for optimizing food processes as it is a non-destructive technology that allows the evaluation of the same product throughout the process. The fact that the salt and water content in a given area can be predicted makes CT very useful for optimizing salting and curing processes. It can also be used to optimize freezing processes, among others.
X-rays emitted by the CT equipment lose some of their initial energy as they pass through the tissues. This energy attenuation is directly related to the density of matter, producing images with more contrast with the increase in its density. This makes it possible to obtain images where the different tissues can be differentiated and to obtain different quality parameters that are related to them (fat and lean thicknesses, area, volumes, fat and lean content, etc.). That is why it is a very useful technology in terms of channel quality and parts (pieces). In addition, salt has a higher density than meat and appears in images with more contrast. Therefore, curing processes can be easily evaluated using this technology. IRTA offers computerized tomography to support all the agri-food sector with a mobile CT, installed inside a truck, which allows this technology to be applied in any industry. The applications range from live animals, channels and fish, to fruits.

Services

The mobile equipment is located in the Camps i Armet estate in Cruïlles, Monells and Sant Sadurní de l’Heura (Baix Empordà) on the IRTA site in Monells, although it can be used wherever it travels.

  • Applications in genetic improvement
  • Calibration of channel classification equipment
  • Applications in animal nutrition
  • Other applications for the agri-food industry
Other applications of computed tomography in the agri-food sector may be the following:
  • Support in the design and development of new processes.
  • Optimization of low-salt meat and fish processing processes.
  • Evaluation of the quality of the final product.
  • Control of drying processes, anomalies and maturation in food (meat products, fish, fruits, cheeses, etc.).
  • Improved productivity and automation.
  • Improving the quality of processed products.
  • Study of freezing / thawing processes.
  • Study of water gradients in different products, etc.

Equipment

The installation is located in a trailer that has dimensions of 13.5 x 2.60 m2 with a height of 4 m. It is a mobile unit in which three main areas can be distinguished:
  • Front spaces: technical room on two levels (upper for air conditioning machines, and lower for the auxiliary battery system of the platform and storage).
  • Central room: Scanner room or controlled area. Leaded in all its walls, floor and technology.
  • Rear room: Control room or area. For scanner operation, sample warehouse and work. All rooms are air conditioned according to the needs of each area.

Staff

Responsable
Maria Font i Furnols | maria.font@irta.cat | 934674040 | ORCID | PRC Page
Cap d'Àrea
Joan Manel Albacete Sancho | joanmanel.albacete@irta.cat | 934674040

Projects

Title: PIGWEB - An infrastructure for experimental research for sustainable pig production
Reference: https://www.pigweb.eu/
Funding Organism: EU
Status: Executing
Title: REDUCE.PORK: Development of new approaches and technologies to address the global and local environmental impact of swine production while preserving its economic competitiveness
Funding Organism: AEI
Status: Executing
Title: Support to establishment of carcass classification system in line with EU Common Agricultural
Reference: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?ADSSChck=1675096183616&do=publi.detPUB&orderbyad=Desc&searchtype=AS&ccnt=7573876,12037360,7573878,7573877,7573879&page=1&nbPubliList=15&aoet=36538&debpub=20/01/2022&aoref=173638&orderby=upd&
Funding Organism: UE
Status: Executing
Title: SUSPORK: Towards a global sustainability of pig production through efficient feeding strategies, intelligent musculoskeletal evaluation and consumer attitudes
Funding Organism: AIE
Status: Executing
Title: BellyQTech : Classification and evaluation of the global quality of pork belly through non-destructive technologies and perception by consumers
Funding Organism: AEI
Status: Executing

Publications

Non-destructive evaluation of carcass and ham traits and meat quality assessment applied to early and late immunocastrated Iberian pigs
Font-i-Furnols, M., García-Gudiño, J., Izquierdo, M., Brun, A., Gispert, M., Blanco-Penedo, I., & Hernández-García, F. I.
Animal, 15(4), 100189 (2021)
DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2021.100189%20
Prediction of tissue composition of live dairy calves and carcasses by computed tomography
Font-i-Furnols, M., Terré, M., Brun, A., Vidal, M., & Bach, A.
Livestock Science, 243, 104371 (2021)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2020.104371%20
Effects of Exogenous 6-Phytase (EC 3.1.3.26) Supplementation on Performance, Calcium and Phosphorous Digestibility, and Bone Mineralisation and Density in Weaned Piglets
Tous, N., Tarradas, J., Francesch, M., Font-i-Furnols, M., Ader, P., & Torrallardona, D.
Animals (Basel), 11(6), (2021)
DOI: 10.3390/ani11061787%20
Computed tomography evaluation of gilt growth performance and carcass quality under feeding restrictions and compensatory growth effects on the sensory quality of pork
Font-i-Furnols, M., Luo, X., Brun, A., Lizardo, R., Esteve-Garcia, E., Soler, J., & Gispert, M.
Livestock Science, 237, 104023 (2020)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2020.104023%20
Effects of a high-fat-diet supplemented with probiotics and ω3-fatty acids on appetite regulatory neuropeptides and neurotransmitters in a pig model
Valent, D., Arroyo, L., Fàbrega, E., Font-i-Furnols, M., Rodríguez-Palmero, M., Moreno-Muñoz, J. A., Bassols, A.
Benef Microbes, 11(4), 347-359 (2020)
DOI: 10.3920/bm2019.0197%20
Effects of additional organic micro-minerals and methionine on carcass composition, gait score, bone characteristics, and osteochondrosis in replacement gilts of different growth rate
Fabà, L., Gasa, J., Tokach, M. D., Font-i-Furnols, M., Vilarrasa, E., & Solà-Oriol, D.
Animal Feed Science and Technology, 256, 114262 (2019)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2019.114262
Intramuscular fat content in different muscles, locations, weights and genotype-sexes and its prediction in live pigs with computed tomography
Font-i-Furnols, M., Brun, A., & Gispert, M.
Animal, 13(3), 666-674 (2019)
DOI: 10.1017/s1751731118002021%20
Evaluation of an automatic lean meat percentage quantification method based on a partial volume model from computed tomography scans
Xiberta, P., Bardera, A., Boada, I., Gispert, M., Brun, A., & Font-i-Furnols, M.
Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 151, 365-375 (2018)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2018.06.019
Growth of total fat and lean and of primal cuts is affected by the sex type
Carabús, A., Sainz, R. D., Oltjen, J. W., Gispert, M., & M., F.-i.-F.
Animal, 11(8), 1321-1329 (2017)
DOI: 10.1017/s1751731117000039%20
Relationship between pig carcass characteristics measured in live pigs or carcasses with Piglog, Fat-o-Meat’er and computed tomography
Lucas, D., Brun, A., Gispert, M., Carabús, A., Soler, J., Tibau, J., & Font-i-Furnols, M.
Livestock Science, 197, 88-95 (2017)
DOI: 10.1017/s1751731117000039%20
A semi-automatic and an automatic segmentation algorithm to remove the internal organs from live pig CT images
Xiberta, P., Boada, I., Bardera, A., & Font-i-Furnols, M.
Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 140, 290-302 (2017)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2017.06.003%20
Prediction of salt and water content in dry-cured hams by computed tomography
Fulladosa, E., Santos-Garcés, E., Picouet, P., & Gou, P.
Journal of Food Engineering, 96(1), 80-85 (2010).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2009.06.044
Estimation of NaCl diffusivity by computed tomography in the Semimembranosus muscle during salting of fresh and frozen/thawed hams
Picouet, P. A., Gou, P., Fulladosa, E., Santos-Garcés, E., & Arnau, J.
LWT - Food Science and Technology, 51(1), 275-280 (2013).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2012.08.004
Partial scanning using computed tomography for fat weight prediction in green hams: Scanning protocols and modelling
Picouet, P. A., Muñoz, I., Fulladosa, E., Daumas, G., & Gou, P.
Journal of Food Engineering, 142, 146-152 (2014)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2014.06.012
Non-destructive analysis of aw, salt and water in dry-cured hams during drying process by means of computed tomography
Santos-Garcés, E., Gou, P., Garcia-Gil, N., Arnau, J., & Fulladosa, E.
Journal of Food Engineering, 101(2), 187-192 (2010)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2010.06.027
Including estimated intramuscular fat content from computed tomography images improves prediction accuracy of dry-cured ham composition
Santos-Garcés, E., Muñoz, I., Gou, P., Garcia-Gil, N., & Fulladosa, E.
Meat Science, 96(2, Part A), 943-947 (2014)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2013.09.018
Tools for Studying Dry-Cured Ham Processing by Using Computed Tomography
Santos-Garcés, E., Muñoz, I., Gou, P., Sala, X., & Fulladosa, E.
J Agric Food Chem, 60(1), 241-249 (2012)
DOI: 10.1021/jf203213q

INSTITUTE

IRTA - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries

Torre Marimon

08140 Caldes de Montbui http://www.irta.cat/

DOMAINS RIS3CAT

  • Food system
  • Education and knowledge generation system
  • Industrial system
  • Socio-sanitary system

CATEGORIES

  • INFORMATION TECNOLOGIES
    • Medical Imaging
  • STABLES AND ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION CENTERS
    • Specialized animal experimentation
  • TECHNOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT
    • Other specializated laboratories

RATES AND ACCESS

Availability Level: High
Access Procedures:
Open

QUALITY CONTROL

CSN-Category 3
Nuclear Safety Council - Category 3 Research facilities are radioactive installations of 1st, 2nd or 3rd category within the group of facilities where radionuclides or radiation generating equipment are handled or stored, which can be used for scientific, medical purposes, agricultural, commercial or industrial ”
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Status: Active
HRS4R
Human Resource Strategy for Researchers It supports research institutions and funding organizations in implementing the Charter and Code in their policies and practices. The implementation of the Charter and Code principles by research institutions makes them more attractive to researchers looking for a new employer or host for their research project..
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Status: Active
UNE 166002 – AENOR RDi Management
Optimize the processes of research, development and technological innovation based on known structures of management systems R & D & I Management Systems allow companies and organizations, regardless of their size or the economic sector to which they belong, to systematically improve their R & D & I activities, without restricting them in rules which limit the imagination and emotional intelligence of researchers, providing useful guidelines for effectively organizing and managing such activities.
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Status: Active
ISO 9001 – Quality Management
ISO 9001 sets out the criteria for a quality management system. This standard is based on a number of quality management principles that include a strong customer focus, motivation and involvement of senior management, process focus, and continuous improvement. The use of the ISO 9001 standard helps to ensure that customers receive consistent and good quality products and services, which in turn brings many business benefits.
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Status: Active
CERCA - Ginys