Application of a handheld electronic nose for real-time poultry freshness assessment

Meat and fish are the most resource-demanding food products with a high carbon footprint. However, worldwide, tons of meat and fish products that are still safe to consume are discarded as waste due to uncertainty about their freshness. This study evaluates the application of a newly developed electronic nose (e-nose) to assess the freshness level of chicken and turkey under regular processing conditions. The device, comprising a micro-cantilever sensor functionalized with a binder selective to the freshness biomarker cadaverine, is crucial in reducing this waste. Upon exposure to cadaverine, the sensor resonance frequency changes as a function of analyte concentration. Standard cadaverine concentrations are measured by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and associated with the shelf-life estimation determined by sensory and microbial evaluations during an 18-day storage period (5 °C). The findings show that the sensory panel evaluates the meat as unsuitable between days 7 and 9, while bacterial data shows high bacterial levels after day 4. HPLC and e-nose data show increasing cadaverine levels after day 4, correlating well with the bacterial count. The data calibrates the electronic nose, demonstrating its potential as a shelf-life prediction tool, which can assist human sensorial evaluation and significantly reduce food waste.