A group of scientists from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., say their new packaging tray has the ability to help signal when salmonella and other dangerous contaminants are present in packages of raw or cooked food.
Researcher Shadman Khan says the plan for their prototype was to place a “smart” sensing system in a consumer setting capable of detecting food-borne contaminants such as E. coli and Listeria.
“Smart food sensing is something that researchers have been trying to develop for quite a while, what makes it difficult is … sensors are pretty small,” Khan explained.
“So there’s always been this argument as to whether a tiny sensor would be able to detect bacteria or pathogens that are present across various parts of a food product.”
The McMaster “Lab-in-a-Package” project, featuring colleagues from biomedical, mechanical and chemical engineering as well as medicine and biochemistry, consists of a tray that in simple terms creates a miniature lab.
“The purpose of that packaging system is to localize the juices that are naturally released from the product,” Shadman explained. “So irrespective of where the bacteria is, the sensor will come in contact with salmonella or E. coli, if it is present within the package.”
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Once commercialized, the sensor-based technology would tell producers, retailers and consumers in real time whether a sealed food package is contaminated without having to open it.
Co-lead researcher and PhD student Akansha Prasad says it’s hoped the technology will save lives and reduce food waste for consumers while at the same time being cost-effective for manufacturers.
“The tray we designed … it’s something that can be designed in facilities where these (types) of trays are manufactured,” she said.
“Similarly, other components include a membrane to hold some necessary reagents for a sensor and that again … can be purchased for minimal cost.”
At this point, the researchers say the technology offers simply a “yes” or “no” indicator relating to whether or not the food is inedible.
Khan says the study focused on salmonella bacteria at higher temperatures, which means the ID system is ideal at room temperature when used for ready-to-eat foods in grocery stores.
“Our salmonella system itself actually performs best at higher temperatures, which is why we wanted to target ready-to-eat foods because those are foods that aren’t cooked further and represent a very high-risk factor for consumers,” he said.
Prasad says her team wanted a “plug and play” system that can interface with a variety of different food sensors seeking various pathogens in a variety of food products.
“Even in our own research, we tried it with produce products such as lettuce and have seen efficacy,” said Prasad.
The technology comes as a federal government committee suggests Ottawa look into its rules on best-before dates suggesting it might cut down excess food waste and, in turn, food insecurity.
Experts say best-before dates, typically on most frozen foods, canned items and dried grains, are not the same as expiry dates and are widely misunderstood. The dates essentially identify the best freshness date of a product and not whether it has spoiled.
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