Self-organizing algorithm for classification of packaged fresh vegetable potentially contaminated with foodborne pathogens

A rapid method for identification of foodborne pathogens contamination in packaged fresh vegetable using electronic sensor array and Kohonen self-organizing map (SOM) algorithm was developed. Escherichia coli was used as the target microorganism because its presence in foods indicates fecal contamination, and the presence of pathogenic microorganisms. E. coli was grown in the packaged fresh vegetable. The electronic sensors was used to monitor changes in the composition of the package headspace gas phase relating to the biochemical products of E. coli volatile metabolites. SOM algorithm was then used to classify the data output from the electronic sensor array. The SOM algorithm created a map from a high dimensional input vector space onto a two-dimensional output lattice. When integrated with SOM algorithm, the electronic sensors proved to have the ability to classify the packaged fresh vegetable potentially contaminated with pathogens.