Abstract
This paper describes the fabrication of a wireless, passive sensor based on aninductive-capacitive resonant circuit, and its application for in situ monitoring of thequality of dry, packaged food such as cereals, and fried and baked snacks. The sensor ismade of a planar inductor and capacitor printed on a paper substrate. To monitor foodquality, the sensor is embedded inside the food package by adhering it to the package'sinner wall; its response is remotely detected through a coil connected to a sensor reader. Asfood quality degrades due to increasing humidity inside the package, the paper substrateabsorbs water vapor, changing the capacitor's capacitance and the sensor's resonantfrequency. Therefore, the taste quality of the packaged food can be indirectly determined bymeasuring the change in the sensor's resonant frequency. The novelty of this sensortechnology is its wireless and passive nature, which allows in situ determination of foodquality. In addition, the simple fabrication process and inexpensive sensor material ensure alow sensor cost, thus making this technology economically viable.
Highlights
Dry, packaged food usually requires an airtight package to maintain its quality and ensure food safety
Food quality is generally determined by its potential shelf life [1,2,3,4], which allows the consumers to know when a product should be sold or used
When determining the shelf life of a product, producers take into account the three main types of food deteriorations: senescence, microbial spoilage, and chemical deterioration [5]
Summary
Dry, packaged food usually requires an airtight package to maintain its quality and ensure food safety. Leaks in the package or improper manufacturing conditions increase the moisture content of the food package, leading to the softening of food and reducing the taste quality, or worst, the growth of harmful microorganism. When determining the shelf life of a product, producers take into account the three main types of food deteriorations: senescence (natural deterioration of harvested or slaughtered produce), microbial spoilage, and chemical deterioration [5]. These types of deteriorations have various effects on food including food staleness and the growth of pathogens such as E. coli. Depending on the fashions of food deterioration, various ways have been developed to preserve food freshness including storing at lower temperatures, using controlled atmospheric packaging, pasteurizing food before refrigeration, and increasing food acidity
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