Smart Tags Detect Spoilage

Mar-23-14 Researchers have developed smart tags able to detect if food or medicine has gone bad, cutting down on waste while also allowing the user to determine if medications are still active.

Developed by a team at Peking University, the tags are about the size of a corn kernel and are designed to be integrated into the container itself. They are embedded with nanorods that change color over time, mimicking the microbial growth processes at a certain temperature and shifting in stages from red (fresh) to green (spoiled). The tags are inexpensive and save to use, and can be programmed to mimic a wide range of "ambient –temperature deterioration processes in foods."

The tags are estimated to cost a fraction of a cent each, and the research team is currently seeking manufactures to get them to market.

More Info about this Invention:

[ACS.ORG]
[CNET]

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