A Sortex machine (optical sorter) uses advanced optoelectronic technology to automatically inspect and separate bulk food items—such as rice, grains, pulses, seeds, nuts, and coffee—from defective products and foreign materials based on color, size, shape, and optical properties. As raw material flows down a high-speed chute in a uniform single-layer stream, high-resolution cameras, LED or laser lighting, and NIR (Near-Infrared) sensors continuously scan each individual particle. The system’s processing unit compares these visual images against pre-configured quality criteria, instantaneously detecting impurities like discolored grains, stones, glass, plastic, or debris. Once an targeted defect is identified, precise high-speed pneumatic air ejectors fire pinpoint blasts of compressed air to knock the rejected item out of the main stream into a separate hopper, allowing only top-quality material to pass safely into the clean channel.