Melamine sensing in milk products by using surface enhanced Raman scattering

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Spectroscopy
• Materials Science

Background:

• Melamine contamination in food products poses a significant health risk.
• Existing detection methods are often time-consuming, costly, and require laboratory settings.
• There is a need for rapid, portable, and sensitive detection techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, rapid, and portable sensor system for detecting trace amounts of melamine.
• To evaluate the performance of the sensor system in terms of sensitivity and cost-effectiveness.
• To compare the developed method with existing regulatory standards and laboratory procedures.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a portable sensor system integrating high-performance gold nanofinger SERS sensor chips.
• Employed a custom-built prototype portable Raman spectrometer for analysis.
• Developed a simplified sampling and analytical procedure with a single sampling step.

Main Results:

• Achieved simple and rapid detection of trace melamine in milk products.
• The limit of detection (LOD) for melamine was determined to be 120 parts per trillion (ppt) in water.
• The LOD in infant formula was 100 parts per billion (ppb), significantly below the FDA tolerance level of 1 ppm.

Conclusions:

• The developed portable SERS sensor system provides a simple, rapid, and cost-effective solution for melamine detection.
• The system's high sensitivity ensures compliance with regulatory standards for food safety.
• This technology offers a viable alternative to traditional laboratory-based methods for on-site melamine analysis.