Digital kosher inspection for green leaves using AI object recognition technology to classify and count pests in the sample, determining the kosher status.
In collaboration with the Kosharot Association
Project Status
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The Challenge
One of the most complex challenges in the kosher world is maintaining the kosher status of green leaves, which requires a meticulous count of pests. Both the number of pests and their types are significant from a religious practice perspective. Consequently, many populations in the past avoided consuming green leaves. However, shortly before the turn of the millennium, a method was developed in the settlement of Gush Katif to grow kosher green leaves. Kosher certifications on green leaves are essential for kosher-observant consumers and even more for kosher restaurants, which must use only products with kosher certifications.
Today, the process of qualifying green leaves mainly relies on human examination by kosher supervisors:
- Supervisors take a sample of the green leaves being examined
- They rinse the leaves with water
- The rinsed water is passed through a strainer
- The supervisors then count and identify the types of pests on top of the strainer
Manual inspections are time-consuming and costly for growers and kosher businesses, and ultimately increase prices for consumers. Moreover, manual inspections can lead to errors and inefficiencies, perpetuating a repetitive and expensive cycle
The Solution
An inspection for green leaves using AI object recognition technology to identify the type and number of pests in a sample. Instead of manually sorting and counting each pest, we can scan an image of the strainer and receive immediate data.
This solution will significantly reduce the inspection time from an average of an hour to just a few seconds, directly lowering the costs of the tests. Consequently, it will reduce expenses for businesses, end consumers, and also minimize the range of errors.
Impact
Greenhouse Cultivation: Early and targeted identification of infected areas without the need to destroy the entire greenhouse crop, resulting in a cost saving of approximately 90%
Kosher Businesses: In Israel, there are about 14,500 businesses with kosher certification
Kosher Supervisors: Currently, there are around 5,000 kosher supervisors in Israel across all fields, with approximately 300 specializing in green leaves
Reliability: Certified produce is trusted among those who strictly observe kosher dietary laws, which includes 46% of the Jewish population
Technological Advancement: Promoting technological innovation within traditional communities
Data Insights and Quality Control: Collecting data on pest occurrences for research purposes
