Food Industry

The food industry is subject to strict quality and consumer protection standards, the violation of which can have severe liability consequences for manufacturers. In this industry, there is usually intense price competition. Therefore, manufacturers deploy Machine Vision systems at every stage of the production process to ensure seamless, preferably fully automated quality control without compromising productivity.

Image processing applications in the food industry include sorting natural products such as fruits and vegetables, inspecting quality and visual characteristics, and identifying impurities, color variations, size differences, and defects.

Foreign object detection is a crucial aspect where Machine Vision is used to identify foreign bodies such as metal, glass, or plastic in food products. This helps to avoid contaminations and ensures food safety.

Another application area is labeling and packaging, where Machine Vision supports the monitoring of labels on food packaging to ensure all required information is correctly placed. This technology is also utilized to inspect packaging for accuracy and integrity, ensuring that the products comply with regulations.

Food traceability, a vital aspect for safety and quality, is also supported by Machine Vision. It monitors the entire lifecycle of a food product, from production to delivery, enabling swift traceability in case of recalls.

In dimensional control, especially in meat processing or the baking industry, Machine Vision can be used to monitor the exact dimensions of food products, ensuring they adhere to specific standards and regulations.

When selecting lenses for Machine Vision in the food industry, various criteria need to be considered:

Field of View

Crucial for applications where either a wide FoV may be required to monitor multiple products simultaneously, or a narrow FoV is needed to monitor specific details, as in label inspection.

Image Quality

High-quality lenses with high resolution and color accuracy ensure precise inspections and accurate capture of visual features.

Aperture Size

The aperture size regulates the amount of light reaching the image sensor and is crucial to optimizing image quality and ensuring accurate inspections. Like focal length, it does not need adjustments during ongoing operations due to controlled testing conditions.

Spectral Range

Near-infrared (NIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR) lenses enhance the quality of inspection systems by detecting non-visible properties such as moisture content or foreign objects. NIR lenses analyze ingredients and enable non-invasive quality control, while SWIR lenses can detect defects and foreign objects through opaque surfaces, thereby increasing safety and product quality.

By carefully considering these criteria, cameras and lenses can be optimally tailored to the specific requirements of food inspection. The following lens series were specifically designed to meet the demanding requirements of food production.

  • M117FM-RG Series: This series redefines quality assurance by offering a large field of view and exceptional resolution of up to 2.4µm pixel pitch. Ideal for quality control and sorting of food products, it precisely detects impurities, color variations, and defects — especially in the fruit and vegetable industry, where fruits are sorted to the highest standards.
  • MA23FM Series: Optimal for labeling and packaging. With its improved resolution of up to 8 megapixels, it allows precise monitoring of labels on food packaging, while its compact design supports the inspection of packaging integrity.
  • MA111F-VIR Series: Outstanding resolution of up to 24 megapixels and a special infrared correction, enhancing the safety of inspection processes in the food industry. It enables the precise identification of metal, glass, or plastic in food products, thereby avoiding potential contamination.
  • VIS-SWIR SMA Series: Ideal for inspecting food for impurities, foreign objects, or contaminants, both in visible light and in the SWIR range. This aids in ensuring product quality and safety.


As an established manufacturer with an impressive history of experience and continuous innovation, Tamron has proven to be a reliable partner in the optical industry. Our optics experts have extensive machine vision experience and can assist you in selecting the right lens for your application.

M117FM-RG Series
MA23FM Series
MA111F-VIR Series
VIS-SWIR SMA Series