TOXDETECT: AI Vision integration for toxic plant detection in frozen vegetable process
In the Landes region of southwest France, the transition to organic farming and stricter herbicide regulations has led to the proliferation of toxic plants, specifically Datura and black nightshade, which have contaminated fields. Antarctic Foods, a frozen vegetable producer, has faced significant challenges in recent years with the contamination of beans and peas by these toxic plants.
The Challenge
In the production of frozen green beans, toxic plants such as datura and nightshade can occasionally contaminate the harvest. Despite advanced optical and mechanical sorters, small traces of these harmful plants sometimes pass undetected, posing safety and quality risks. Traditional control systems lacked the precision and adaptability needed to respond to changing field contamination conditions and complex production flows.
The Solution
ToxDetect introduced an AI-based vision monitoring system capable of identifying toxic plants during the production process. By integrating Captic’s intelligent image filtering with the existing optical sorters (Veryx C140 and B140), the system drastically reduced false positives and provided accurate, real-time alerts to the production team.
The approach allowed operators to take immediate corrective actions, achieving 95% detection accuracy. Beyond toxic plant identification, the system also proved valuable in detecting other quality deviations — such as overcooked beans, clusters, or blocked products — enabling faster interventions and better process control.
Impact
The project demonstrated clear benefits for food safety, productivity, and sustainability:
- Enhanced quality assurance through real-time AI monitoring.
- Reduced rework and production losses, saving an estimated 350 tonnes of beans per year (equivalent to €63,000).
- Lower environmental impact, allowing acceptance of more contaminated crops without increasing waste.
- Transferability to other vegetable processing lines and factories facing similar contamination risks.
What’s Next?
Following the successful pilot, Antarctic Foods and Captic plan to extend the system to other vegetables and expand its use for continuous quality control in frozen food production. The results have already been showcased at Anuga FoodTech 2024 and industry events, inspiring broader adoption of AI-powered vision systems in the European agri-food sector.
ToxDetect exemplifies how digital innovation can make food processing safer, smarter, and more sustainable.