Researchers have created a sensor capable of detecting if a food is no longer edible. This detector, which works without a battery, is able to measure a certain toxic substance and send an alert to a connected device, such as a smartphone. However, this only works with protein food.
It is not always easy to assess whether a food is still edible. Firstly because the shelf life depends on the environment. Then because not all people are equally sensitive. There are of course devices capable of measuring the edibility of a food. But so far, these devices have to be handled by experts and are not available to the general public.
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What if a device we use every day could tell us how fresh food is? What if this device was a smartphone? This could make our life easier. A group of researchers from Turkish University of Koç has precisely developed a sensor which makes it possible to measure the freshness of food and display the result of its analysis on a smartphone using an application. And the system is extremely convenient, although it only works with meat and fish.
This sensor sends an alert to a smartphone if food is spoiled
How does it work? Let’s start with the fundamentals. When decomposing, meat produces a substance called biogenic amine “. This is toxic. When this rate reaches a certain threshold, the food is no longer edible. The researchers therefore created a sensor that will measure the level of biogenic amines in the food. This component, which measures 2 square centimeters and weighs 2 grams, works without a battery. It is equipped with a NFC-sensor which, like credit cards for example, will use the energy of its host (here a smartphone). Thanks to this, the sensor performs the measurement and transmits its results. And that in real time.
To find out if a meat is still good to eat, all you have to do is open an application and bring the phone (NFC compatible) closer to the sensor. In a few moments, the result is displayed. The researchers claim that this component is very easy and very economical to produce. It can be used by consumers, of course, but also by food industry professionals and distributors.
This is not the first time that technology has taken an interest in food. In 2021, Apple filed a patent to measure the freshness of certain foods using an infrared sensor. The impact of this sensor could be very significant if it is generalized, whether at the health, economic or ecological level. First food consumption might be safer. Then there would be less waste. let’s remember that a third of the food produced in the world is thrown away because it is unfit for consumption. And the waste produced by this waste generates 10% of greenhouse gases.
Source: NatureFood