A new packaging tray has been developed by McMaster University researchers that can detect the presence of Salmonella or other harmful pathogens in packages of raw or cooked food, like chicken.
The new technology will make it possible for producers, retailers, and consumers to determine in real time whether a sealed food package’s contents are contaminated without having to open it, preventing contamination while streamlining laborious and expensive lab-based detection procedures that currently significantly delay and cost food production.
A food-safe reagent is used to line the prototype tray, which is shaped like a shallow boat. This substance enables the built-in sensor to detect and alert the presence of Salmonella. The technology can easily be modified to test for Listeria and E. coli, two other common food-borne contaminants.
The co-lead author of a paper that describes the