A portable Raman system for non-invasive in situ meat spoilage detection
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Posted: 28 August 2013 | Kay Sowoidnich, Institute of Optics and Atomic Physics, Technical University Berlin | No comments yet
It is no easy task to judge the freshness of meat products – either for consumers or for food inspectors. To obtain detailed results about spoilage status, sophisticated and expensive laboratory analyses are required. As an alternative, non-destructive optical inspection methods are very attractive. At Technical University Berlin, a portable Raman system for in situ detection of meat spoilage was developed and successfully tested with pork, beef, chicken and turkey. The Raman spectra were evaluated applying principal components analysis and could be correlated with distinct stages of bacterial growth kinetics determined by microbial reference analyses. In that way, the device is capable of rapidly identifying spoiled meat samples exceeding the relevant bacterial contamination threshold of 106 cfu/cm2 (cfu: colony forming units).
Up to now, meat quality control, including the detection of microbial spoilage, relies on labour-intensive, expensive and time-consuming laboratory analyses requiring highly trained and experienced staff. Therefore, only sampling is possible and the number of meat products that can be controlled is limited. This is a severe drawback as the combination of essential nutrients and high water content makes meat very susceptible to microbial spoilage. To protect consumer health and to ensure meat quality and safety, fast and objective inspection methods are needed. Here, non-destructive optical techniques such as Raman spectroscopy are a promising alternative to overcome existing limitations.
It is no easy task to judge the freshness of meat products – either for consumers or for food inspectors. To obtain detailed results about spoilage status, sophisticated and expensive laboratory analyses are required. As an alternative, non-destructive optical inspection methods are very attractive. At Technical University Berlin, a portable Raman system for in situ detection of meat spoilage was developed and successfully tested with pork, beef, chicken and turkey. The Raman spectra were evaluated applying principal components analysis and could be correlated with distinct stages of bacterial growth kinetics determined by microbial reference analyses. In that way, the device is capable of rapidly identifying spoiled meat samples exceeding the relevant bacterial contamination threshold of 106 cfu/cm2 (cfu: colony forming units). Up to now, meat quality control, including the detection of microbial spoilage, relies on labour-intensive, expensive and time-consuming laboratory analyses requiring highly trained and experienced staff. Therefore, only sampling is possible and the number of meat products that can be controlled is limited. This is a severe drawback as the combination of essential nutrients and high water content makes meat very susceptible to microbial spoilage. To protect consumer health and to ensure meat quality and safety, fast and objective inspection methods are needed. Here, non-destructive optical techniques such as Raman spectroscopy are a promising alternative to overcome existing limitations.
It is no easy task to judge the freshness of meat products – either for consumers or for food inspectors. To obtain detailed results about spoilage status, sophisticated and expensive laboratory analyses are required. As an alternative, non-destructive optical inspection methods are very attractive. At Technical University Berlin, a portable Raman system for in situ detection of meat spoilage was developed and successfully tested with pork, beef, chicken and turkey. The Raman spectra were evaluated applying principal components analysis and could be correlated with distinct stages of bacterial growth kinetics determined by microbial reference analyses. In that way, the device is capable of rapidly identifying spoiled meat samples exceeding the relevant bacterial contamination threshold of 106 cfu/cm2 (cfu: colony forming units).
Up to now, meat quality control, including the detection of microbial spoilage, relies on labour-intensive, expensive and time-consuming laboratory analyses requiring highly trained and experienced staff. Therefore, only sampling is possible and the number of meat products that can be controlled is limited. This is a severe drawback as the combination of essential nutrients and high water content makes meat very susceptible to microbial spoilage. To protect consumer health and to ensure meat quality and safety, fast and objective inspection methods are needed. Here, non-destructive optical techniques such as Raman spectroscopy are a promising alternative to overcome existing limitations.
