Smart packaging: sensors for monitoring of food quality and safety

The development of chemical sensors and biosensors over several decades has been investigated resulting in novel and very interesting sensor devices with great promise for many areas of applications including food technology. The incorporation of such sensors into the food packaging technology has resulted what we call smart or intelligent packaging. These are truly integrated and interdisciplinary systems that invoke expertise from the fields of chemistry, biochemistry, physics and electronics as well as food science and technology. Smart packaging utilises chemical sensor or biosensor to monitor the quality & safety of food from the producers to the costumers. This technology can result in a variety of sensor designs that are suitable for monitoring of food quality and safety, such as freshness, pathogens, leakage, carbon dioxide, oxygen, pH, time or temperature. Thus, this technology is needed as on-line quality control and safety in term of consumers, authorities and food producers, and has great potential in the development of new sensing systems integrated in the food packaging, which are beyond the existing conventional technologies, like control of weight, volume, colour and appearance.     

五味调与营养平衡及其信号传导

“五味调”是中国餐和烹饪的基本理论和原则。一直以来,很多人认为中国餐虽然讲究色、香、味,但是不讲究营养,而有关味觉和嗅觉受体与相应的配体相互作用研究表明,味觉和嗅觉所传感的正是机体所需要的营养成分,并构成营养体内平衡的分子结构识别机制和生理调节与代谢基础,五味调和在机体生命活动和营养体内平衡中具有重要作用。味觉和嗅觉受体以G蛋白偶联受体超家族为主体,构成机体对营养物质的结构与功能、定量与定性的传感系统。该传感系统不仅分布在舌和鼻咽部的味蕾处,而且遍布整个消化道系统,以及神经信号传导系统,在外周系统和大脑之间构建起通讯联系和“编码系统”。大量研究表明,在漫长的进化中,人和动物已经形成了一个从看到食物开始,一直到食入、咀嚼、消化、吸收、排泄等各个关键环节的时序控制及其复杂的信号级联激活和传递系统。机体通过味觉和嗅觉系统从饮食的形态、质构到分子结构与功能等进行严格的识别和筛选,系统地控制各种营养成分的消化和吸收,并同时以严格的时序性信号传递与级联,从神经信号的快速传递到神经和体液混合传递,再到体液传递相互配合,构成食品营养与安全的交响乐式的信号传递与控制过程,决定了机体的营养吸收、防御、体内平衡、生理活动、代谢与健康。本文在综述这些进展的基础上提出：五味调和是健康饮食的基础,通过味觉和嗅觉受体及其与配体的相互作用的研究,不仅可以为嗅觉和味觉测定开辟新的方法和途径,而且为调味品的研究和健康饮食,控制现代文明病的发生和发展提供科学依据。     

The role of smart packaging system in food supply chain

Food supply chain is a rapidly growing integrated sector and covers all the aspects from farm to fork, including manufacturing, packaging, distribution, storing, as well as further processing or cooking for consumption. Along this chain, smart packaging could impact the quality, safety, and sustainability of food. Packaging systems have evolved to be smarter with integration of emerging electronics and wireless communication and cloud data solutions. Although there are many factors causing the loss and waste issues for foods throughout the whole supply chain of food and there have been several articles showing the recent advances and breakthroughs in developing smart packaging systems, this review integrates these conceptual frameworks and technological applications and focuses on how innovative smart packaging solutions are beneficial to the overall quality and safety of food supply by enhancing product traceability and reducing the amount of food loss and waste. We start by introducing the concept of the management for the integrated food supply chain, which is critical in tactical and operational components that can enhance product traceability within the entire chain. Then we highlight the impact of smart packaging in reducing food loss and waste. We summarize the basic information of the common printing techniques for smart packaging system (sensor and indicator). Then, we discuss the potential challenges in the manufacturing and deployment of smart packaging systems, as well as their cost-related drawbacks and further steps in food supply chain.     

气味与滋味间相互作用对食品风味感知影响研究进展

食品风味是影响消费者购买欲的重要因素,而风味感知的形成受嗅觉、味觉等多种感官的共同影响,利用气味与滋味间感知交互作用改善食品风味已成为最受关注的食品风味调控新方向之一。基于此,本文首先从神经生物学角度分析嗅觉与味觉间跨模态感知交互作用的主要形成通路及机制,然后从静态感官分析和动态感官分析两个方面总结跨模态感知交互作用的主要研究方法,最后结合相关文献案例分别综述气味物质对味觉感知（甜、咸、苦、鲜和酸）以及滋味物质对嗅觉感知的影响,旨在为食品加工过程风味品质的调控提供新思路。     

CRISPBREAD QUALITY EVALUATION BASED ON FUSION OF INFORMATION FROM THE SENSOR ANALOGIES TO THE HUMAN OLFACTORY, AUDITORY AND TACTILE SENSES

Appreciation of food is based on the perception all five human senses; vision, tactile, auditory, taste and olfaction. Sensory integration of chewing resistance, melting properties, crisp sound etc. will give a further perception of the food, which is called the mouth feel. In this report, a model experiment performed on crispbread is described, which was based on information fusion from human sense analogies of olfaction, auditory and tactile. Five samples of crispbread with various hardness and flour composition were placed in a special “crush chamber”. While crushed, information corresponding to three senses could be obtained – auditory by a microphone, tactile by a force sensor and smell by leading gases from the crushed material to a gas sensor array. To evaluate the information obtained, multivariate pattern recognition methods, i.e. principal component analysis and artificial neural nets were used to search for structure and correlation in the data. It was shown that by using only the auditory information, the samples could not be separated. The tactile information alone could separate three samples, and the smell information one sample. By combining all sense analogues, all five samples could be separated.     

味觉受体及其传感器研究与应用

中国传统饮食和食品的烹制与加工讲究色、香、味俱全,其中"酸、甜、苦、辣、咸五味调和"又构成其核心标准。国际上也分为"五味",分别为"酸、甜、苦、咸、鲜",其中少了辣味,多了鲜味。也有人建议将脂肪的味道定义为"香"味,但是中国人的"香"实际上是"香气",属于嗅觉,而非味觉。大量研究证明,多数味觉受体作为营养传感系统,如苦、甜、鲜都属于G蛋白偶联受体超家族成员,而且其分布并不限于味蕾、肠道等,其他组织均有分布,是药物筛选的重要靶标。然而,到目前为止,市场上进行味觉测定仍然依赖于电子鼻和电子舌等仪器设备,味觉受体传感器及其有关技术则仍处于探索和研究阶段。其主要原因是:味觉受体和其他大多数受体一样,在与配体识别和启动信号传递时主要依赖于弱相互作用,如何将这些弱相互作用转变为传感器可以处理并放大的光、声、电、磁、热等信号,从而实现其定量测定是一个关键性难题。但是,由于味觉受体在医药筛选、食品添加剂、食品的功能性评价和代谢综合征预防等方面的巨大应用与开发前景,其检测方法一直是科学家关注的焦点之一。本文将针对味觉受体及其传感器检测技术的研究进展进行综合评述,讨论其未来发展和应用前景。     

二维纳米材料基电化学传感器在检测谷物及其制品中赭曲霉毒素A的应用进展

赭曲霉毒素A (ochratoxin A, OTA)是一种丝状真菌毒素,具有致畸、致癌、致突变等危害。它容易在谷物中存在,并通过食物链对人体造成危害。因此,开发快速、灵敏的OTA检测技术对于食品安全控制具有重要意义。电化学传感器具有灵敏度高、响应速度快和稳定性好等优点,因此在OTA的检测中得到广泛应用。此外,二维纳米材料具有较大的比表面积、良好的导电性和易于修饰等优点,可用于构建性能优异的电化学传感器。因此,本文综述了石墨烯(graphene, GR)、二硫化钼(molybdenum disulfide, MoS2)、黑磷(black phosphorus,BP)等二维纳米材料的特性、制备方法及其区别,重点阐述了二维纳米材料基电化学传感器在检测谷物及其制品中OTA的优势,以及复合材料中二维纳米材料的作用,为进一步拓展二维纳米材料基电化学传感器在谷物及其制品中OTA检测应用方面提供新思路。     

金属有机框架基电化学传感器在食品安全检测中的应用进展

为保障食品安全与人类健康,实现快速、准确现场检测食品中有害物质是控制食品质量的关键。电化学传感器因其响应速度快、灵敏度高、设备易于小型化等优势在快速检测领域具有一定的优势。但食品中有害物质的痕量检测需要更广检测范围和更低检测限,同时实际样品体系复杂,对传感器的抗干扰性提出更高的要求。金属有机框架(metal-organic framework, MOF)材料因其可调的孔隙结构、大比表面积、易于修饰等优点,能够有效提高传感器的灵敏度和选择性,因此,MOF基电化学传感器被广泛应用于食品中有害物质的检测。本文综述了MOF材料用于构建电化学传感器对食品中危害因素(兽药、农药残留、真菌毒素、重金属、食品添加剂)检测的应用进展,着重阐述了MOF材料在构建电化学传感器中的优势,以及复合材料修饰电极中MOF的作用,同时对MOF材料的不足进行了讨论,为进一步拓展MOF基电化学传感器在食品安全检测中的应用提供新的思路。     

High throughput non-destructive assessment of quality and safety of packaged food products using phosphorescent oxygen sensors

Intelligent and active packaging technologies have gained attention in recent time due to increased demand by the consumers and manufacturers for sustaining the quality and safety of food products, improved shelf-life as well as real time monitoring of the packaging, storage and handling processes. In this context, phosphorescence based sensors for molecular oxygen (O₂) are important tools for monitoring of packaged products, new product development and optimisation. They allow fast, reversible, real-time and quantitative monitoring of residual O₂ levels in a non-destructive manner, being superior over alternative systems. In this review, we describe the main types of phosphorescent O₂-sensitive materials, fabrication methods and general requirements for sensors for food packaging applications. The main developments and representative examples are provided which illustrate the application of such sensors for monitoring of gaseous and dissolved O₂ in various types of packaged foods and beverages. We also compare commercial O₂ sensing instrumentation and disposable O₂ sensors currently in use.     

有机磷农药快速检测方法与技术进展

我国是农业大国, 农药在农业生产中起着重要的作用。以有机磷为代表的农药的大量使用, 在为农业生产带来巨大利益的同时, 也造成了严重的环境问题和食品安全问题。因此, 如何进行快速高效的农药残留检测是当前关注的焦点。本文综述了目前基于有机磷类农药残留检测方法的研究进展, 详细介绍了生物传感器、光学传感器和化学传感器在该研究领域的应用与发展, 总结了现阶段农药残留分析方法的不足与发展方向, 对食品安全检测的具有重要的现实意义和指导作用。     

荧光适体传感器在食品中镰刀菌毒素检测的研究进展

随着经济社会的发展和人们生活水平的提高,由镰刀菌毒素污染导致的食品安全问题受到广泛关注。检测技术作为食品安全的技术保障,越来越受到人们的重视。 鉴于镰刀菌毒素危害性大且广泛存在,镰刀菌毒素分析和控制对于人及动物安全尤为重要。近年来,快速、高效的镰刀菌毒素检测方法已成为国内外学者研究的热点,其中荧光适体传感器检测技术快速发展,已在食品安全检测领域发挥着越来越重要的作用。本文着重介绍了荧光适体传感器在镰刀菌毒素检测中的应用进展,包括其基本特征、原理及其应用。最后,对荧光适体传感器应用于食品中镰刀菌毒素检测现阶段亟待解决的问题进行了梳理和展望。本文可为荧光适体传感器的研究和相关新技术的开发提供参考。     

核酸适配体传感器应用于牛乳检测的研究进展

近些年食品安全问题频发,牛乳质量安全及掺假问题备受关注。核酸适配体传感器是新兴的检测方法,具有特异性强、灵敏度高、操作方便等优点。将核酸适配体传感器用于牛乳检测是将来的一个发展方向。本文主要对近年来应用核酸适配体传感器检测牛乳中致病菌、抗生素、生物毒素、重金属和其他微量有害物质进行综述,并且对这种检测方法目前存在的问题和未来的发展前景进行分析,以期为这种新兴的技术更好地应用于牛乳检测提供参考。     

香气对饱腹感和味觉影响的研究进展

风味是口腔中产生的味觉、鼻腔中产生的嗅觉和三叉神经感觉的综合感官印象,主要包括食品的香气和滋味。风味物质大多为非营养性物质,不参与人体代谢。风味是构成食品质量的重要因素之一,在消费者选择食物中起着非常重要的作用。本文综述了香气对饱腹感和味觉影响的研究进展,介绍了香气技术应用中存在的问题并展望了相关研究在食品包括新型保健食品开发中的应用前景。     

Invited review: Advancements in lateral flow immunoassays for screening hazardous substances in milk and milk powder

Dairy-related food safety outbreaks, such as food-borne pathogen contamination, mycotoxin contamination, and veterinary drug contamination, sometimes happen and have been reported all over the world, affecting human health and, in some cases, leading to death. Thus, rapid yet robust detection methods are needed to monitor milk and milk powder for the presence of hazardous substances. The lateral flow immunoassay (LFI) is widely used in onsite testing because of its rapidity, simplicity, and convenience. In this review, we describe some traditional LFI used to detect hazardous substances in milk and milk powder. Furthermore, we discuss recent advances in LFI that aim to improve sensitivity or detection efficiency. These advances include the use of novel label materials, development of signal amplification systems, design of multiplex detection systems, and the use of nucleic acid–based LFI.     

Colorimetric sensor arrays based on chemo-responsive dyes for food odor visualization

BackgroundThe colorimetric sensor array technology simulates human olfaction to analyze, identify and examine complex gas and volatility based on chem-responsive dyes. Unlike human olfaction and electronic noses, colorimetric sensor array is more objective and not susceptible to interference. In additional, with the visualization, rapidity and non-destruction of analysis, colorimetric sensor array has been increasingly applied in food science and industry.Scope and approachThis review focuses on the colorimetric sensor array technology and its major applications in food industry. Technical considerations associated with the chemo-responsive dyes, substrate materials, and data processing methods are discussed. In application, any type of food samples including solid, liquid food samples could be directly analyzed using colorimetric sensor array. Additionally, the recent development, and future research trends are also involved.Key findings and conclusionsThe colorimetric sensor array technology offers an exciting method to establish the correlation between the output of a colorimetric sensor array and the odor components, thereby enabling visual quantification of odors. It provides a potential odor-image-based monitoring tool for the rapid, reliable and in-line assessment of food safety and quality.     

Zinc Deficiency and Taste Perception in the Elderly

Taste, one of the major senses in humans, is the ability to detect the flavor of substances such as food, certain minerals, and poisons. Taste distortions in human beings have been attributed to various physiological and environmental factors including aging and disease conditions. Given the fact that taste is one of the most important factors in food preference, selection, and consumption, the decreased appetite in the elderly, probably due to disease conditions, may lead to dietary restrictions that could negatively impact nutritional and health status. The role of zinc on taste distortion in the elderly population and taste impairment are described. Although several studies demonstrate the associative nature of taste degeneration with age, additional investigations are required to clarify the mechanisms by which taste perception is altered with age.     

天然抗氧化剂抑制油脂氧化的研究进展

油脂在长期贮藏中易受多种因素影响发生氧化酸败,不仅影响食物感官,降低营养价值,同时产生一些有毒物质导致人体衰老、癌症以及多种慢性疾病的发生。天然抗氧化剂因具有安全性高、抗氧化能力较强的特点,已被普遍运用于油脂抗氧化中。从酚类、色素类、多肽类、甾醇类物质以及多糖类物质5个方面,综述了近年来从动植物中提取的天然抗氧化物质对油脂抗氧化的作用,旨在为天然抗氧化剂的开发、应用,油脂储存、保质研究提供参考。     

LSPR-based colorimetric biosensing for food quality and safety

Ensuring consistently high quality and safety is paramount to food producers and consumers alike. Wet chemistry and microbiological methods provide accurate results, but those methods are not conducive to rapid, onsite testing needs. Hence, many efforts have focused on rapid testing for food quality and safety, including the development of various biosensors. Herein, we focus on a group of biosensors, which provide visually recognizable colorimetric signals within minutes and can be used onsite. Although there are different ways to achieve visual color-change signals, we restrict our focus on sensors that exploit the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) phenomenon of metal nanoparticles, primarily gold and silver nanoparticles. The typical approach in the design of LSPR biosensors is to conjugate biorecognition ligands on the surface of metal nanoparticles and allow the ligands to specifically recognize and bind the target analyte. This ligand–target binding reaction leads to a change in color of the test sample and a concomitant shift in the ultraviolet-visual absorption peak. Various designs applying this and other signal generation schemes are reviewed with an emphasis on those applied for evaluating factors that compromise the quality and safety of food and agricultural products. The LSPR-based colorimetric biosensing platform is a promising technology for enhancing food quality and safety. Aided by the advances in nanotechnology, this sensing technique lends itself easily for further development on field-deployable platforms such as smartphones for onsite and end-user applications.     

肉类休闲食品品质提升与安全控制研究进展

随着经济的快速发展与人民消费水平的不断提升,肉类休闲食品产业也随之快速发展。肉类休闲食品属于零食的一种,是人们在闲暇时所享用的食品,也是快速消费食品中重要的组成部分之一。肉类休闲食品种类繁多,在味道、便利、营养、口感和健康方面备受人们青睐。与此同时,随着消费理念不断更新,肉类休闲食品品质与食品安全问题日益受到关注。肉类休闲食品在目前的发展面临诸如肉制品的品质较低等问题,因此需要提升其品质,尤其是在减盐、减糖、减脂、增鲜等方面。在食品加工中存在一些危害物等安全隐患,如化学性、物理性及加工伴生危害物等,需要建立起检测技术和控制技术以做到安全控制。基于此,文章系统性总结了肉类休闲食品品质提升的方法及安全控制领域近十年来的研究进展,以期为肉类休闲食品品质安全保证及产业升级提供借鉴与参考,进而促进肉类休闲食品产业的高质量发展。     

基于不同识别元件的表面等离子体共振技术在食品安全检测中的研究进展

表面等离子体共振（surface plasmon resonance,SPR）技术传感器具有灵敏度高、无需标记、简单、成本低、可实时监测等优点,已在生命科学、新药研发、食品安全、环境污染检测等方面得到了广泛应用。而识别元件是SPR传感器的重要组成部分,它决定检测的专一性及灵敏度,因此识别元件的研究与发展至关重要。本文分别综述了以抗体、适配体、分子印迹聚合物、蛋白质、肽、酶为识别元件的SPR传感器在食品安全检测中近10 年来的研究进展;重点分析了不同识别元件在SPR技术中的特点和优势;提出了今后SPR技术在食品安全检测中的技术难点及新应用前景。