Researchers print, tune graphene sensors to monitor food freshness, safety

Date posted
Funding Agency
(Funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Defense and the National Institute of Standards and Technology)

Researchers at Iowa State University, Northwestern University, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory have used high-resolution printing technology and the unique properties of graphene to make low-cost biosensors to monitor food safety and livestock health. The sensors can detect histamine, an allergen and indicator of spoiled fish and meat, down to 3.41 parts per million. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has set histamine guidelines of 50 parts per million in fish, making the sensors more than sensitive enough to track food freshness and safety.