SPIE Journal Paper | 20 February 2024
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Carbon monoxide, Fluorescence, Color, Sensing systems, Optical sensing, Calibration, Photodiodes, Light sources, Infrared radiation
We present a nondestructive sensor system to assess meat freshness. The quality of meat is affected by the microbial population, which is associated with CO2 gas emission and the color of the meat. The proposed system comprises nondispersive infrared (NDIR), fluorescence, and color sensory technologies for capturing the CO2 gas and color of the meat. The NDIR source and receiver are procured at 4.3 μm, and the fluorescence film is produced with the 8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-tri sulfonic acid trisodium salt dye for CO2 sensing. A TCS 3200 color sensor is employed to analyze the color changes during meat spoilage. The optoelectronic hand-held system is made with light sources, detectors, signal conditioning boards, and a display unit; it monitors the freshness of chicken, fish, and goat. The response characteristics of the thin film, such as the stability, response time, and reproducibility, are evaluated before they are applied for CO2 monitoring. The NDIR values and fluorescence sensor data along with the color information improve the quality inspection of the meat. These sensors offer several advantages, such as a high sensitivity, fast response time, minimal sample preparation, miniaturization, and ability to determine the meat spoilage level.
