A CT machine for inspection of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO

In the food industry, non-destructive inspection techniques have become increasingly prevalent. For Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, one of Italy’s most widely distributed and internationally recognized cheeses, traditional quality assessment involves hammerbeating examination as defined in the Consortium marking regulation. The sounds produced when the hammer strikes the cheese allow the expert to determine its quality before being introduced to the market. Depending on the classification, the wheels are assigned to a different use and thus acquire a different economic value. It is estimated that defects in the cheese result in an overall loss of tens of millions of euros per year for the dairy industry. Therefore, it is crucial to study the wheels at an early age to monitor the evolution of defects over time. To this aim, a customized cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) machine was developed which captures both single digital radiographs (DRs) and computed tomoraphy (CT) images and represents a valid non-destructive and rapid tool.