Detecting Spoiled Food with Lasers

Apr-10-16 A laser-packed refrigerator able to detect spoiled food could help reduce cases of food poisoning—and their associated fatalities.

According to estimates, up to 50 million Americans suffer from food poisoning each year, and 3000 of them die. To help prevent foodborne illnesses, a team from the Korea Advanced Institutes of Science and Technology used a red, coherent laser that will scatter when it hits biological tissue, causing “speckle.” Since the live bacteria are also moving, the speckle pattern will move as well—a movement that can be picked up by a special camera and software to display the degree of contamination.

The system of monitoring laser speckle is relatively inexpensive, and could be retrofitted to existing equipment, including refrigerators and food processing lines.

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