
This MIT device, based on modified carbon nanotubes, can detect amines produced by decaying meat.
Photo: Sophie Liu
Tiny device could be incorporated into “smart packaging” to improve food safety
MIT chemists have devised an inexpensive, portable sensor that can detect gases emitted by rotting meat, allowing consumers to determine whether the meat in their grocery store or refrigerator is safe to eat.
The sensor, which consists of chemically modified carbon nanotubes, could be deployed in “smart packaging” that would offer much more accurate safety information than the expiration date on the package, says Timothy Swager, the John D. MacArthur Professor of Chemistry at MIT.
It could also cut down on food waste, he adds. “People are constantly throwing things out that probably aren’t bad,” says Swager, who is the senior author of a paper describing the new sensor this week in the journal Angewandte Chemie.
The paper’s lead author is graduate student Sophie Liu. Other authors are former lab technician Alexander Petty and postdoc Graham Sazama.
The sensor is similar to other carbon nanotube devices that Swager’s lab has developed in recent years, including one that detects the ripeness of fruit. All of these devices work on the same principle: Carbon nanotubes can be chemically modified so that their ability to carry an electric current changes in the presence of a particular gas.
In this case, the researchers modified the carbon nanotubes with metal-containing compounds called metalloporphyrins, which contain a central metal atom bound to several nitrogen-containing rings. Hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood, is a metalloporphyrin with iron as the central atom.
For this sensor, the researchers used a metalloporphyrin with cobalt at its center. Metalloporphyrins are very good at binding to nitrogen-containing compounds called amines. Of particular interest to the researchers were the so-called biogenic amines, such as putrescine and cadaverine, which are produced by decaying meat.
When the cobalt-containing porphyrin binds to any of these amines, it increases the electrical resistance of the carbon nanotube, which can be easily measured.
“We use these porphyrins to fabricate a very simple device where we apply a potential across the device and then monitor the current. When the device encounters amines, which are markers of decaying meat, the current of the device will become lower,” Liu says.
In this study, the researchers tested the sensor on four types of meat: pork, chicken, cod, and salmon. They found that when refrigerated, all four types stayed fresh over four days. Left unrefrigerated, the samples all decayed, but at varying rates.
There are other sensors that can detect the signs of decaying meat, but they are usually large and expensive instruments that require expertise to operate. “The advantage we have is these are the cheapest, smallest, easiest-to-manufacture sensors,” Swager says.
“There are several potential advantages in having an inexpensive sensor for measuring, in real time, the freshness of meat and fish products, including preventing foodborne illness, increasing overall customer satisfaction, and reducing food waste at grocery stores and in consumers’ homes,” says Roberto Forloni, a senior science fellow at Sealed Air, a major supplier of food packaging, who was not part of the research team.
Read more: MIT sensor detects spoiled meat
The Latest on: Smart packaging
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Smart packaging” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Smart packaging
- £3.2m funding for innovation in plastic packagingon March 28, 2023 at 9:36 am
The funding winners will explore plant-based biodegradable polymers, new sorting and recycling technology, and the use of Artificial Intelligence to build a global plastic map ...
- Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge announces £3.2 million in fundingon March 28, 2023 at 3:45 am
Almost £3.2 million in funding has been announced by UKRI's Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging (SSPP) Challenge for 17 projects.
- Sealed Air launches new digital packaging portfolioon March 28, 2023 at 3:21 am
Sealed Air has launched Prismiq, a portfolio of solutions for design services, digital printing and connected packaging, focussed on the food supply chain.
- How to choose the best microSD card for smart security camerason March 28, 2023 at 3:05 am
If you've invested in a smart home security camera, or a video doorbell for that matter, chances are that it'll have a microSD card slot. Depending on how you use your security camera, choosing the ...
- Smart Food Packaging Market is Booming in Near Future 2023-2031on March 27, 2023 at 7:33 pm
What is the Smart Food Packaging market growth? Smart Food Packaging Market Size is projected to Reach Multimillion USD by 2028, In comparison to 2023, at unexpected CAGR during the forecast Period ...
- 2023 to 2028 Global Smart Packaging Market Evaluation Analysison March 26, 2023 at 9:46 pm
The recently publishedSmart Packaging MarketReport, spanning across103pages, provides a comprehensive analysis of ...
- Sustainable and smart packaging driving F&B industryon March 26, 2023 at 7:35 pm
Green packaging, also known as sustainable packaging, needs no introduction. It has become essential today because it consumes the least energy and has the minimum detrimental effects on the ...
- Tovala smart ovens are Instagram-famous and up to $200 off—but only for the next few hourson March 26, 2023 at 2:42 pm
If you've ever wanted to try out Tovala's Instagram-famous smart ovens, now's your chance. The popular retailer—known for its trendy kitchen appliances and meal kit combos—is having a huge spring sale ...
- Miwa Technologies receives EU funding to continue scaling up its smart reusable packaging systemon March 24, 2023 at 5:15 am
Miwa Technologies is receiving over €5 million in funding through the European Innovation Council's EIC Accelerator programme for the further implementation of its smart reusable packaging system in ...
- Smart Packaging Solutions for a Green Futureon March 20, 2023 at 11:59 pm
Gerhard Schubert will be presenting a wide range of packaging solutions at the upcoming trade fair of interpack 2023. Some of its most recent innovations include cobots for the rapid feeding of ...
via Bing News