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| Hi-tech food nose not to be looked down on |
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By: Rachel Yan
Nov 13,2007 |
SCIENTISTS from the Shanghai Fisheries University have invented an electronic nose that can check the quality and freshness of food.
The "electronic nose" includes a small liquid crystal display screen and a two-centimeter needle thinner than a human hair.
The needle is packed with 18 sensors and can act like the olfactory cells of a human and analyze food odors.
By inserting the needle into food samples, the "electronic nose" can detect chemicals emitted by decaying food particles which it shows as a graph on the screen.
On screen the food's graph is automatically shown against a reading of the same food when it is fresh and not decaying.
The "nose" can detect a prawn that is going off within one hour and can be used for poultry, meat and eggs.
Zhao Yong, the vice professor with the university's food studies college, said that "electronic nose" testing is quicker, more accurate and more convenient compared to the traditional testing methods which involves growing bacteria.
"The electronic nose is more sensitive than a dog's nose and it can detect the slightest indication of decay long before a human being smells it," he explained.
The research team has also designed a food safety chip that can detect viruses present in food.
The chip, which is about the size of a nail, can spot the gene sequences of about 150 types of disease viruses.
If the food being tested contains one or more enlisted viruses, the chip will emit a sound. The louder the sound, the more viruses are present in the food.
"The gene testing method is particularly effective in detecting viruses, even those that are inactive," Zhao said. The chip should be able to prevent food safety breaches well in advance. | |
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