Non-destructive quality evaluation in spice industry with specific reference to black pepper (Piper Nigrum L.)

As India is a hub of spices, quality assessment is mandatory for all these spice industries. Till now, quality assessment is done traditionally by human sensory panel which is non-reliable, costly and time consuming method. So there is a need of non-destructive method for quality assessment which is non-chemical in nature. In addition to inherent and hygienic features, quality also depends on physical appearance, moisture content, taste and smell. In this paper, we propose a method for quality evaluation of black pepper (Piper Nigrum L.) using computer vision and image processing which is cost-effective, fast and method. This method of quality assessment is non-contacting and so non-destructive too.