Do you still sniff to find out if the milk is spoiled? Do you blindly trust the expiration date on the packaging? Forget those “methods”.
Engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, developed a cap that detects when the milk is spoiled. Printed in a 3D printer, it has circuits and sensors that identify changes in electrical impulses. These impulses occur with increase in bacteria presence. When the packing is shaken and the milk is in contact with the inside of the cover, the reaction happens.
Operation of the smart cap
It is estimated that more than 160 billion dollars in food viable for consumption are discarded each year in the world. Fortunately there are devices like Foodsniffer, an “electronic nose” that identifies temperature, humidity, ammonia and other substances in foods indicating whether consumption is safe. It can be used in different kinds of meat and fish. The device sends data to your smartphone via bluetooth. It costs US$ 150. It is still a high cost for a small family, but for restaurants and supermarkets it may represent a huge saving.
Another new feature is the bio-reative tag, which determines whether food is suitable for consumption or not. The label contains solidified gelatine that degrades into liquid, exposing peaks inside the packaging. When the label surface is plain, it means food is safe. If it is irregular, discard it. Gelatine protein is degraded at the same speed as that of meat and dairy products. This is still in the testing phase but, as it is cheap and easy to use, it is already quite promising in the market.
In China, it was also created a label that changes color when the food is spoiled. The indicators goes from red until the neon green, when the product should be discarded. The technology used is nano rods that react with each other. The disadvantage of this method is that it is based on estimative, not reactions to the food itself, so it’s not as accurate. As an advantage, it can be used in any refrigerated product and not only in dairy or meat products as the previous examples. It can also be used in chilled medicines packaging, which makes it even more desired by the market.
Whatever your choice is, without no doubt, is better than putting your nose to smell spoiled milk.
References: Digital Trends, Geek, Geek
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