Researchers at Concordia University have developed an easy-to-use biosensor that indicates when meat has spoiled. The new technology has the potential to enhance food safety by preventing rotten meat from being consumed, which is important as recent years have shown that supply chain disruptions can put perishable product at risk of spoilage.
The inexpensive, reliable sensor was designed to recognize putrescine in beef, which is a type of biogenic amine (BA), a toxicological food safety hazard. Putrescine is the toxin responsible for the odor of rotting meat; its consumption can cause headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, and heart palpitations, and has been linked to an elevated risk of colorectal cancer.