Wireless Tags with Hybrid Nanomaterials for Volatile Amine Detection

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Sensors
• Food Science

Background:

• Quality control in raw meat production is crucial for the food industry.
• Detecting the onset of spoilage requires portable and wireless sensors.
• Biogenic and volatile amines are key indicators of meat spoilage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly sensitive and selective wireless sensor for detecting meat spoilage.
• To create a sensor system capable of monitoring cumulative amine exposure in packaged meat.
• To enable non-invasive, real-time food quality assessment.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a hybrid chemiresistor sensor using SiO2:ZnO nanofibers and functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes.
• Integration of the chemiresistor material with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags to create wireless sensors.
• Testing the sensor's dosimetric sensitivity and selectivity towards amines compared to other volatile organic compounds.
• Evaluating the performance of the wireless tags in detecting cumulative amine exposure in packaged meat.

Main Results:

• The hybrid sensor demonstrated approximately 40 times higher sensitivity to amines than other volatile organic compounds.
• The developed sensor exhibits excellent selectivity for amine detection.
• Wireless RFID tags modified with the hybrid material successfully reported cumulative amine exposure.
• A decrease in radio-frequency signal indicated spoilage, rendering the sensor unreadable by smartphone.

Conclusions:

• The hybrid nanomaterial-based wireless sensor offers a scalable, affordable, and portable solution for food quality monitoring.
• This technology allows for non-invasive assessment of meat quality directly within packaging.
• The developed sensors provide a promising tool for the food industry to ensure product safety and quality.