PEGS sensors aim to cut food waste

Developed at Imperial College London, the prototype PEGS (paper-based electrical gas sensors) cost $0.02 each to make and can detect spoilage gases like ammonia and trimethylamine in meat and fish products. Imperial’s PEGS are detailed in ACS Sensors.

The sensors, made by printing carbon electrodes onto cellulose paper, are combined with NFC (near field communication) tags that can be read by nearby mobile devices.

During laboratory testing on packaged fish and chicken, PEGS reportedly detected trace amounts of spoilage gases quickly and more accurately than existing sensors, at a fraction of their price. The researchers said the sensors - the first ever commercially-viable food freshness sensors - could eventually replace the ‘use-by’ date found on food packaging.

Lead author Dr Firat Güder, of Imperial’s Department of Bioengineering, said: “Although they’re designed to keep us safe, use-by dates can lead to edible food being thrown away. In fact, use-by dates are not completely reliable in terms of safety as people often get sick from foodborne diseases due to poor storage, even when an item is within its use-by.