E-Noses: Biosensory Technology Imitating the Human Sense of Smell – IT News Africa

December 12, 2023

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO) report, in the year 2022 alone, an estimated 600 million people fall ill due to contaminated foods, a concerning reality that urges for a more proactive and advanced approach to food safety.

With the added backing of AI, biotech companies are on a path to develop a series of tech-packed safety marvels. The evolution of advanced electronic noses, or e-noses, that detect strains of foodborne bacteria.

Imagine a device so advanced it can imitate the human sense of smell. One such groundbreaking device is the e-nose called Sensifi, a sophisticated food safety tool optimized for on-site checks by food producers.

Super Noses Sniffing Out the Problem

A fascinating detour from conventional methods, these AI-driven biosensors are high-sensitivity trackers. It mirrors the function of a human nose, possessing the capacity to detect and differentiate between smells.

Bacteria in food generally convert naturally occurring chemicals into distinctive VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). These VOCs are the ‘smell prints’ of bacteria, giving their presence away. The e-nose sensor array picks up this specific VOC fingerprint, alerting the system to the presence of the bacterium.It thereby not only helps identify the bacteria but also offers critical insights into the state of the food.

“One could think of these as Marvel superheroes, except in the world of food safety,” muses Steffan Black, a Zenshield Technology Expert. “Like a superhero’s heightened senses, these e-noses can detect problems far better than human capabilities, ensuring fresher, safer food even before it reaches consumers.”

How AI Amplifies E-Nose Functionality

AI plays a quintessential role in making e-noses more effective and accurate. After an array of VOC sensors in an e-nose identifies a pattern, it is the AI part that steps up the game.
Turning raw data into valuable information is where AI shows its prowess. The identifying patterns are transformed into algorithms, ensuring the gathered data can be meaningfully employed.

The Sensifi operates by:

Taking a quick sniff of the food item.
Analyzing the aroma for any harmful VOCs.
Alerting the user if bacteria are found.

Why It Matters

Electronic noses, or E-noses, can offer various benefits to individuals’ daily lives, even for those who are not experts in the field. Here are some ways E-noses could benefit a simple person:

Quality of Food and Beverages: E-noses can be used to detect the freshness and quality of food and beverages. For a regular person, this means being able to determine if the milk, meat, or other perishable items they have at home are still safe to consume.
Food and Beverage Pairing: E-noses could help individuals, even those with limited knowledge of culinary arts, in pairing food and beverages based on aroma profiles. This could contribute to a more enjoyable dining experience.
Prevention of Illness: Many foodborne illnesses stem from bacteria-infected food sources. With the early detection and removal of such sources, the e-nose plays a prominent role in curbing foodborne illnesses.
Economic Impact: By heading off foodborne outbreaks, these technologies can save economies the crushing expenses they regularly incur in dealing with such outbreaks.
Personalized Experiences: In the future, E-noses could be integrated into smart homes or wearable devices to enhance personalized experiences. For instance, adjusting ambient scents based on individual preferences or health needs.

Fragrant Leap Forward

The integration of AI and e-noses opens a fresh chapter in our battle against foodborne diseases. By predicting potential risks at an early stage, this combination offers an exciting prospect—ultimately saving lives.

Steffan Black adds, “These AI ‘super-noses’ are no magic wand; they rather provide us with a potent weapon. We can now face the challenges of foodborne illnesses much more efficiently and effectively, essentially moving from a reactive to a proactive stance.”

This promises new horizons and a potential revolution in the world of food safety. As for food industries globally, the time for embracing such technology has arrived. Because, after all, creating a world where people can enjoy food without fearing for their health isn’t just compassionate—it’s an absolute necessity.

As our journey into the futuristic world of AI marches on, one thing seems clear: These ‘super-noses’ are on their way to becoming the food industry’s strongest line of defense, wishing foodborne illnesses an emphatic goodbye, and clearance to safer, fresher food a warm welcome.

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