New smart sensor could help you test food safety at home

Schematic. Credit: Biosensors (2024).

Food recalls due to contamination, like the recent cases involving carrots, ground beef, and deli meat, have raised concerns about food safety.

Now, researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) are working on a solution: sensors that can quickly detect harmful contaminants in food and water, all from the comfort of your home.

The UTD bioengineering team, led by Dr. Shalini Prasad, has published studies in 2024 showcasing these groundbreaking sensors.

These devices can identify dangerous bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella, as well as toxic chemicals in water, in just minutes.

“Our goal is to create accurate, fast, and easy-to-use sensors that people can use to protect themselves,” said Dr. Prasad, who heads UTD’s bioengineering department. “We’re designing tools that put food safety directly in the hands of consumers.”

In June, the team published a study in the journal Biosensors about a portable sensor that detects E. coli O157:H7 in water in just five minutes.

Although this particular strain of E. coli differs from the one recently found in contaminated organic carrots, the technology could soon be adapted to test for other strains of harmful bacteria.

Another sensor, detailed in a February study in Microchimica Acta, can identify Salmonella in water samples in under nine minutes.

In August, a study in Electrochem demonstrated a device capable of detecting paraquat, a toxic herbicide, in drinking water. The researchers are also developing sensors for other harmful substances, including the herbicide atrazine and mycotoxins, which are toxic chemicals produced by fungi.

Dr. Prasad’s team is no stranger to creating innovative sensors. They have developed wearable devices that analyze sweat to detect health markers for diabetes, infections like COVID-19, and inflammatory bowel disease. They’ve also worked on rapid tests for soil health, THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) in saliva, and fentanyl in liquids.

The researchers are collaborating with EnLiSense, a Texas-based company co-founded by Dr. Prasad, to bring these technologies to consumers.

These sensors could soon make it easier and faster for people to test their food and water for harmful contaminants, giving everyone more control over their health and safety.

If you care about nutrition, please read studies about the harm of vitamin D deficiency, and Mediterranean diet may preserve brain volume in older adults.

For more health information, please see recent studies about foods to naturally lower high blood pressure, and a simple breakfast switch can help control type 2 diabetes.