A company from Finland, VTT, has created a sensor that can detect whether packaged foods have gone bad. The sensor is placed on the packaging and can be read using a smartphone.
Ethanol detection eliminates waste
The sensor detects the level of ethanol, a substance created when food goes bad, in the package and once a particular level is reached, it will indicate that the food is no longer available for consumption. This should help eliminate food waste as consumers won't have to go on the - often very cautiously dated - expiration date. VTT will now try to patent the system and then look for a partner to market it.
Researchers at the University of Ghent are looking into a similar scanner, one that can detect the concentration of gas molecules thanks to a sensor. Based on that information, it would also be able to tell whether food has gone bad. These researchers also thought of a way to communicate with smartphones, but decided to create a scanner for supermarkets instead at this moment in time.