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The scanner uses technology like infrared spectroscopy or mass spectrometry to analyze the chemical composition of materials. Different materials will have different patterns of absorption or emission of light or different mass-to-charge ratios, allowing the scanner to distinguish between them.
In each food, the property of matter being scanned is likely the chemical composition, specifically the presence of different nutrients, additives, or contaminants.
Some other potential uses for the scanner could include testing for the presence of harmful chemicals in consumer products, identifying unknown substances in forensic investigations, or analyzing the composition of environmental samples for pollution monitoring.