NON-INVASIVE MRI SYSTEM FOR ANALYZING QUALITY OF SOLID FOOD PRODUCTS ENVELOPED BY FLEXIBLE ALUMINUM FOIL WRAPPER AND METHODS THEREOF

1 . A quality control system characterized by:

a. a line of substantially-solid food-products, said products at least partially enclosed in a flexible aluminum foil wrapper and randomly-orientated on said line;

b. an MRI device adapted to image each of said products on said line; said MRI is in communication with a computer readable medium adapted to (i) store at least one computer-retrievable standardized parameter related with a standard product; (ii) analyze said MRI thereby providing an online parameter; (iii) compare said online parameter with said predefined standardized parameter; and thereby (iv), detect defects in said products.

2 . A quality control method characterized by:

a. enclosing food products in an aluminum foil wrapper wherein said food product is substantially solid, wherein said aluminum foil wrapper is flexible;

b. MRI imaging at least one standardized product; analyzing said standardized MRI and providing a standardized parameter; communicating said MRI with a computer readable medium, thereby storing at least one computer-retrievable standardized parameter related to said standard product;

c. conveying a plurality of products on a line, said line passing through an MRI device;

d. MRI imaging each of said products on said line; analyzing said MRI and providing a parameter; comparing said online parameter with said predefined standardized parameter; and detecting defects in products.

3 . The system for non-invasively inspecting a substantially solid food product according to claim 1 , further comprising a magnetic resonance probe for supporting said Al foil wrapper in said magnetic resonance imaging device during a magnetic resonance measurement of said substantially solid food product.

4 . The system for non-invasively inspecting a substantially solid food product according to claim 1 , wherein said Al foil wrapper has a thickness in the range of approximately 6 μm to approximately 20 μm.

5 . The system for non-invasively inspecting a substantially solid food product according to claim 1 , wherein said magnetic resonance device generates a magnetic field intensity of approximately 1 Tesla in a region of interest.

6 . The system for non-invasively inspecting a substantially solid food product according to claim 1 , wherein said magnetic field intensity has a skin depth of approximately 13 μm in said Al foil wrapper.

7 . The system for non-invasively inspecting a substantially solid food product according to claim 1 , wherein said magnetic resonance imaging device is an MRD device.

8 . The system for non-invasively inspecting a substantially solid food product according to claim 1 , wherein said Al wrapping foil has a skin depth of approximately 13 μm in an RF frequency range of approximately 42.5 MHz to 45 MHz.

9 . The system for non-invasively inspecting a substantially solid food product according to claim 1 , wherein items of substantially solid food product are inspected to determine whether the wrapping properly envelops the substantially solid food product.

10 . A system for non-invasively inspecting a solid chocolate food product comprising:

a. a magnetic resonance imaging device to generate at least one magnetic resonance image of said solid chocolate food product;

b. at least one magnetic resonance image of at least one standardized control sample of said solid chocolate food product; and

c. a processor to compare said at least one magnetic resonance image of said solid chocolate food product to said at least one magnetic resonance image of said at least one standardized control sample of solid chocolate food product;

wherein blooming can be detected on the surface of said solid chocolate food product, further wherein said solid chocolate food product is at least substantially enclosed in a substantially flexible aluminum foil wrapper, and further wherein said solid chocolate food product is in a random orientation with respect to said magnetic resonance imaging device.

11 . The system for non-invasively inspecting a solid chocolate food product according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of the following is being held true: (a) said system further comprising a magnetic resonance probe for supporting said Al foil wrapper in said magnetic resonance imaging device during a magnetic resonance measurement of said slid chocolate food product; (b) said Al foil wrapper has a thickness in the range of approximately 6 μm to approximately 20 μm; (c) said magnetic resonance device generates a magnetic field intensity of approximately 1 Tesla in a region of interest; (d) said Al wrapping foil has a skin depth of approximately 13 μm in an RF frequency range of approximately 42.5 MHz to 45 MHz; and any combination thereof.

12 . The system for non-invasively inspecting a solid chocolate food product according to claim 10 , wherein said magnetic field intensity has a skin depth of approximately 13 μm in said Al foil wrapper.

13 . The system for non-invasively inspecting a solid chocolate food product according to claim 10 , wherein said magnetic resonance imaging device is an MRD device.

14 . The system for non-invasively inspecting a solid chocolate food product according to claim 10 , wherein items of solid chocolate food product are inspected to determine whether the wrapping properly envelops the substantially solid food product.

15 . A method for non-invasively inspecting a substantially solid food product comprising:

a. acquiring a system for non-invasively inspecting a substantially solid food product, said system comprising:

i. a magnetic resonance imaging device to generate at least one magnetic resonance image of said substantially solid food product; and

ii. a processor to compare said at least one magnetic resonance image of said substantially solid food product to at least one magnetic resonance image of at least one standardized control sample of said substantially solid food product;

b. making at least one magnetic resonance image of at least one standardized control sample of said substantially solid food product;

c. making at least one magnetic resonance image of said substantially solid food product;

d. comparing said at least one magnetic resonance image of said substantially solid food product with said at least one magnetic resonance image of said at least one standardized control sample of said substantially solid food product;

wherein defects are detectable in said substantially solid food product, wherein said substantially solid food product is at least substantially enclosed in a substantially flexible aluminum foil wrapper, and further wherein said substantially solid food product is in a random orientation with respect to said magnetic resonance imaging device.

16 . The method for non-invasively inspecting a substantially solid food product according to claim 15 , further comprising at least one step selected from a group consisting of (a) storing said at least one magnetic resonance image of at least one standardized control sample of said substantially solid food product; (b) providing a magnetic resonance probe for supporting said Al foil wrapper in said magnetic resonance imaging device during said magnetic resonance measurement of said substantially solid food product; (c) selecting a thickness for said Al foil wrapper in the range of approximately 6 μm to approximately 20 μm; (d) generating a magnetic field intensity of approximately 1 Tesla in a region of interest; (e) generating a magnetic field, wherein said magnetic field intensity has a skin depth of approximately 13 μm in said Al foil wrapper; and any combination thereof.

17 . The method for non-invasively inspecting a substantially solid food product according to claim 15 , further comprising a step of selecting an MRD device as said magnetic resonance imaging device.

18 . The method for non-invasively inspecting a substantially solid food product according to claim 15 , further comprising at least one step selected from a group consisting of (a) establishing a skin depth of approximately 13 μm in said Al wrapping foil; RF frequency range of said magnetic resonance imaging device being approximately 42.5 MHz to 45 MHz; (b) inspecting items of substantially solid food product to determine whether the wrapping properly envelops the substantially solid food product; and any combination thereof.

19 . A method for non-invasively inspecting a solid chocolate food product comprising:

a. acquiring a system for non-invasively inspecting a solid chocolate food product, said system comprising:

i. a magnetic resonance imaging device to generate at least one magnetic resonance image of said solid chocolate food product; and

ii. a processor to compare said at least one magnetic resonance image of said solid chocolate food product to at least one magnetic resonance image of at least one standardized control sample of said solid chocolate food product;

b. making at least one magnetic resonance image of at least one standardized control sample of said solid chocolate food product;

c. making at least one magnetic resonance image of said solid chocolate food product;

d. comparing said at least one magnetic resonance image of said solid chocolate food product with said at least one magnetic resonance image of said at least one standardized control sample of said solid chocolate food product;

wherein defects are detectable on the surface of said wrapped solid chocolate food product, further wherein said solid chocolate food product is at least substantially enclosed in a substantially flexible aluminum foil wrapper and further wherein said substantially solid food product is in a random orientation with respect to said magnetic resonance imaging device.

20 . The method for non-invasively inspecting a substantially solid food product according to claim 19 , further comprising at least one step selected from a group consisting of (a) storing said at least one magnetic resonance image of at least one standardized control sample of said solid chocolate food product; (b) providing a magnetic resonance probe for supporting said Al foil wrapper in said magnetic resonance imaging device during said magnetic resonance measurement of said solid chocolate food product; (c) selecting a thickness for said Al foil wrapper in the range of approximately 6 μm to approximately 20 μm; (d) generating a magnetic field intensity of approximately 1 Tesla in a region of interest; (e) generating a magnetic field, wherein said magnetic field intensity has a skin depth of approximately 13 μm in said Al foil wrapper; (f) selecting an MRD device as said magnetic resonance imaging device; (g) establishing a skin depth of approximately 13 μm in said Al wrapping foil; RF frequency range of said magnetic resonance imaging device being approximately 42.5 MHz to 45 MHz; (h) inspecting items of solid chocolate food product to determine whether the wrapping properly envelops the solid chocolate food product; and any combination thereof.