On a high-speed cookie or cracker line, quality problems don't wait for the next scheduled sample. By the time a worker pulls product, walks it to a bench, and gets a reading, thousands of units may already be out of spec. That lag is exactly what a new generation of sensors is built to eliminate—and it's where KPM Analytics is placing its latest bet.
The company has announced the MCT700 Series, a lineup of near-infrared (NIR) sensors designed specifically for food processing. Installed over conveyors, augers, and chutes, the non-contact sensors deliver continuous, in-line measurement of moisture, fat/oil, color, and product temperature—the four parameters that most often make or break a batch.
What the MCT700 Series Actually Measures
The sensors are aimed at baked and fried snacks, doughs, crackers, breakfast cereals, food ingredients, and more. Rather than relying on periodic at-line samples, they read product as it moves, feeding real-time data back to operators—or straight to the equipment itself.
KPM Analytics is rolling out three models tuned to different line conditions:
- MCT790 – Measures moisture, fat/oil, product temperature, and now product color. Built for hot, greasy, and wet environments, its stainless-steel IP69K-rated housing can withstand the harsh wash-down cleaning typical of food plants, with an internal fan for thermal management. Its rugged, line-side display carries an IP67 rating.
- MCT750 – Same core parameters (no color), IP69K rated, with advanced cooling features and a rugged sapphire sensor window for demanding locations.
- MCT700 – The entry point for applications where color isn't needed. IP67 rated with a standard Kel-F sensor window.
Color, Speed, and Full-Belt Scanning
The addition of product color to the MCT790 is notable: it lets processors confirm doneness and browning consistency without a separate vision step. The sensors also read fast—up to 100 measurements per second—which is what makes it possible to analyze segmented products like individual cookies and crackers rather than an averaged stream.
For conveyor applications, each MCT700 Series sensor can be integrated with a traversing frame to scan an entire belt width. A "move-and-park" feature lets users analyze individual product lanes—a meaningful capability for lines running industrial ovens with multiple heating zones, where one lane can drift while another stays on target.
Closing the Loop on Process Control
The real story here isn't a single instrument—it's a shift in how quality gets managed on the plant floor. KPM Analytics frames the MCT700 Series as support for an emerging trend: in-line, real-time measurement paired with automatic process corrections, replacing the old rhythm of a worker pulling samples and measuring them off-line.
That closed loop is what turns data into savings. Real-time readings can drive manual or automatic adjustment of production equipment like ovens and sprayers—so a moisture or oil drift gets corrected in seconds, not after a QC report.
"Continuous measurement enables rapid response to production issues, which supports the business objectives of increasing productivity and decreasing waste," said Chris Pike, Senior Director of Product Management with KPM Analytics.
All three models are built to lower the cost of ownership: a proprietary temperature-controlled detector for measurement stability, fully modular components that are field-replaceable, and on-board diagnostics for easier troubleshooting. Like prior MCT Series models, they're designed to be standardized across multiple lines.
Why It Matters
For food processors, foodservice suppliers, and procurement teams sourcing consistent product, in-line NIR is the operational backbone behind the "zero-defect" ambition that keeps showing up in production goals. The takeaway for operators is concrete:
- Waste reduction is the fast payback. Catching a moisture or oil-content drift in real time means fewer off-spec pallets, fewer holds, and fewer costly reworks—money that goes straight to margin.
- Labor gets redeployed, not just replaced. Automating the sample-and-measure loop frees QC staff for higher-value work at a time when skilled plant labor is hard to keep.
- Lane-level scanning surfaces hidden variability. Multi-zone ovens rarely bake evenly; the move-and-park traversing frame exposes lane-by-lane differences that averaged sampling can mask.
- Wash-down durability is a buying spec, not a nicety. IP69K housings that survive harsh cleaning solutions matter for food-safety compliance and sensor uptime alike.
For buyers evaluating an upgrade, the practical move is to request an application-specific evaluation—how the sensor performs on your product, at your line speed—before committing.
Ordering and Availability
The MCT790, MCT750, and MCT700 NIR sensors are available to order now. For pricing and an evaluation of how the sensors will perform in specific applications, processors can contact KPM Analytics.
Automation and smart hardware are reshaping how the industry runs—from the plant floor to the front of house. For more on the tech transforming operations, see our coverage of heytruffle's managed restaurant AI concierge and Eileen's retail intelligence play for CPG brands.
Is in-line quality monitoring on your capital roadmap for the year ahead? Tell us where you're seeing the biggest waste—and the biggest wins—in the comments.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
