The researchers have published their findings in the academic journal ‘Advanced Science’. The nano-sensors are still at an early stage but may help detect food pesticides before consumption. The idea of the invention is to enable local stores and supermarkets to detect the harmful chemicals on the produce they are selling before it causes harmful effects on human health. These nano-sensors use a 1970’s discovery called Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) which has been used in several fields other than food. They use a flame-spraying technique to deposit nanoparticles on a glass surface, thus helping boost chemical signals and identify the presence of pesticides in a matter of minutes.
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Pesticide can be extremely harmful for human health.
“Reports show that up to half of all fruits sold in the EU contain pesticide residues that in larger quantities have been linked to human health problems,” says Georgios Sotiriou, principal researcher at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, and the study’s corresponding author.
“Our sensors can detect pesticide residues on apple surfaces in a short time of five minutes without destroying the fruit,” said a postdoctoral researcher in Sotiriou’s lab and the study’s first author, Haipeng Li. “While they need to be validated in larger studies, we offer a proof-of-concept practical application for food safety testing at scale before consumption,” he added.
