In October 2024, our team stood on the stage at the International Inventions Fair (ISIF) in Istanbul, holding a gold medal for an invention we had been developing for years. The patent, titled "A Method for Seafood Freshness Determination," represents the culmination of over a decade of research in computer vision and digital image analysis applied to seafood quality.

This is the story of how a research idea born in a New Zealand lab became a gold medal-winning patent now being developed into a commercial mobile application.

Where It All Began: New Zealand, 2011

My fascination with using computers to "see" food quality started during my post-doctoral research at the University of Auckland. Working alongside Prof. Dr. Murat Balaban, I developed what we called the "Two Image Method" - a technique for accurate color analysis of complex food surfaces.

The concept was simple but powerful: by capturing two images of the same object under controlled conditions, we could eliminate background interference and achieve highly precise color measurements. This work was published in the Journal of Food Engineering and became the foundation for everything that followed.

"Every color has a numerical value. When you can quantify color changes objectively, you can track freshness with scientific precision."

Building the Science: 2013-2023

Back in Turkiye at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, I expanded this research systematically:

  • 2014-2019: Studied color changes in anchovy, sardine, seabass, seabream, and bonito during storage
  • 2016: Our work caught the attention of national media - Anadolu Agency and TRT covered our "freshness test" technology
  • 2017-2019: Investigated the effects of different treatments (salting, smoking, ultrasound) on visual quality parameters
  • 2022-2023: At Ohio State University, I added SERS (Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy) to our toolkit - bringing molecular-level analysis to complement visual assessment

The Patent: How It Works

Our patented method combines multiple sensory indicators with digital analysis to create a comprehensive freshness score. Unlike traditional methods that rely on a single parameter, our approach integrates:

  1. Visual parameters: Eye clarity, gill color, skin brightness - quantified through image analysis
  2. Color metrics: L*, a*, b* values tracked over time to create freshness decay curves
  3. Pattern recognition: Machine learning algorithms trained on thousands of images to classify freshness levels
  4. Non-destructive assessment: No need to cut, cook, or chemically test the fish

Why Non-Destructive Matters

Traditional quality testing often requires destroying the sample - you can't sell a fish after you've ground it up for chemical analysis. Our method evaluates quality without touching the product, making it suitable for continuous monitoring throughout the supply chain.

The Gold Medal at ISIF 2024

The International Inventions Fair brings together innovators from around the world. Our patent was evaluated by an international jury on criteria including:

  • Scientific novelty and rigor
  • Commercial viability
  • Social impact
  • Innovation potential

Receiving the gold medal was a validation not just of the invention itself, but of the entire research trajectory - from basic science to applied innovation. It demonstrated that academic research can directly address real-world problems in the food industry.

Next Step: The DENGiZ Project

The most exciting chapter is unfolding now. Our patent is being developed as part of the DENGiZ Project (Green Wave: Safe and Traceable Fish from Sea to Table), funded by TUBITAK SAYEM, in collaboration with Migros - one of Turkiye's largest supermarket chains.

The goal: a mobile application that allows anyone - from fishermen to consumers - to assess fish freshness using their smartphone camera. The app will:

  • Capture an image of the fish
  • Analyze visual parameters using our patented algorithms
  • Provide an objective freshness score
  • Connect to a traceability database showing the fish's journey
"Imagine walking into a supermarket and being able to scientifically verify the freshness of any fish on the shelf. That's no longer science fiction - it's what we're building."

Lessons Learned

Looking back on this journey, a few lessons stand out:

  1. Basic research matters: The Two Image Method paper from 2012 didn't seem commercially relevant at the time, but it provided the scientific foundation for everything that followed.
  2. International collaboration accelerates innovation: Each international experience (New Zealand, USA) added new capabilities and perspectives.
  3. Industry partnerships are essential: Academic research has more impact when connected to market needs - our partnership with Migros is making the technology real.
  4. Persistence pays off: From initial concept to gold medal took over a decade. Scientific innovation rarely follows a linear path.

What's Next

We're actively working on expanding this technology to include:

  • Integration with handheld spectroscopy for multi-modal analysis
  • Cloud-based AI models that improve with each assessment
  • Support for additional seafood species and product types
  • International deployment and standardization

Our second and third patent applications - focusing on functional fish products for dietary-sensitive consumers - represent the next frontier of innovation in our lab.

Interested in our freshness detection technology or potential collaborations? Get in touch.