Clearwater Seafoods, based in Nova Scotia, Canada, was granted a patent on 12 November for a new imaging system that can identify how ready a lobster is for market.
The new system uses a camera that takes photos in visible, infrared, and ultraviolet light and then compares those images to determine what stage of molt a lobster is in. The system, which is non-invasive and can work on a conveyer belt, will allow processors to determine whether a lobster is at its optimum harvest point.
“Multiple images may be used in some embodiments, including images of different types such as visible spectrum images, infrared spectrum images, and/or ultraviolet spectrum images,” Clearwater’s patent states.
Currently, lobsters undergo blood protein analysis or other invasive methods to determine how close the lobster is to molting. Those processes can usually cover only parts of large shipments, and can often be inaccurate.
“The sampling approach is due to the invasive nature of the test, in which blood must be extracted and placed on a refractometer to get the protein concentration,” Clearwater’s patent states. “This type of test therefore is not suitable for molt stage determination on an individual basis, for every animal in a harvest or shipment or in a production setting, for example.”
The multi-image system will allow larger sample sizes of lobster to quickly be evaluated, determining how hard or soft the shell of a lobster is and what molt stage it is in. While hard-shell lobsters are often thought of has having higher meat yields, that method of measuring meat is often unreliable.
“Due to variances in molt stage, a larger post-molt crustacean might not yield any more meat than a smaller pre-molt or inter-molt crustacean,” Clearwater’s patent states.
As of yet, there’s no indication of whether the company is using the patented technology.
