Influence of Polymer Packaging Films on Hyperspectral Imaging Data in the Visible—Near-Infrared (450–950 nm) Wavelength Range

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has recently emerged as a useful tool for quality analysis of consumer goods (e.g., food and pharmaceutical products). These products are typically packaged in polymeric film prior to distribution; however, HSI experiments are typically carried out on such samples ex-packaging (either prior to or after removal from packaging). This research examines the effects of polymer packaging films (polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) on spectral and spatial features of HSI data in order to investigate the potential of HSI for quality evaluation of packaged goods. The effects of packaging film were studied for hyperspectral images of samples obtained in the visible–near-infrared (Vis-NIR, i.e., 450–950 nm) wavelength range, which is relevant to many food, agricultural, and pharmaceutical products. The dominant influence of the films tested in this wavelength range could be attributed to light scattering. Relative position of the light source, film, and detector were shown to be highly influential on the scattering effects observed. Detection of features on samples imaged through film was shown to be possible after some data preprocessing. This suggests that quality analysis of products packaged in polymer film is feasible using HSI. These findings would be useful in the development of quality monitoring tools for consumer products post-packaging using HSI.