Tool to detect rancid meat

Many people have fallen into the situation of buying an extremely eye-catching piece of meat that is vacuum-packed at the supermarket, but when it comes home it is discovered when the meat is rancid. A finding by German scientists promises to help housewives avoid this 'bad cry'.

According to Tech News Daily , scientists from Fraunhofer Research Institute (Germany) have developed a sensor film that can change color to indicate when food smells.

Anna Hezinger, an expert at the Fraunhofer Institute explains: ' Unlike the expiry date, the information on the sensor plate is not based on an estimate but is based on an assessment of the actual state of the food'.

New innovations will help housewives help suffering - Photos: Tech News Daily

The sensor range is integrated inside the packaging so buyers only need to look at it to determine the status of the piece of meat. This strip reacts with molecules produced when foods such as fish and meat are broken down. The same molecules cause odors when food is rotting.

' When a certain density is reached, colors will change markedly and consumer warning tasks will be implemented ,' Ms. Hezinger added. If these molecules are released into the air in the packaging, the sensor film will react by changing the color from yellow to blue. It is noteworthy that this system is not expensive, while other solutions can push the price of packaged meat very high.

Currently German researchers are developing a measurement module with a built-in sensor film. Workers in food and packaging plants can use this module to directly check the freshness of food.