A Microwave imaging system for in-line packaged food contamination monitoring The Master Thesis focus was the investigation of contamination monitoring of packaged food using a microwave imaging system. Microwave imaging is an engineering approach derived as an evolution of older detecting/locating techniques (e.g., radar) for hidden or embedded objects detection in a tested system, exploiting electromagnetic waves in the microwave regime. The scope of this technique is to detect a target and localize it within the system under analysis, exploiting the dielectric properties and contrast of media interacting with electromagnetic fields. Several techniques have been employed for customer safety and conformity of the product, but each of them presents some limitations: infrared detectors (work only small items), X-rays (ionizing radiation risks), metal detectors (for metallic type intrusion only).