Novel system to test ripe pineapple and delicious pork

Washington, Aug 4 (ANI): Always get confused while deciding which pineapple is ripe and is best to take home? Well, a new system can now help you get out of this puzzle in the supermarket.

The novel system uses volatile components to detect when the pineapple is ripe, and when it can be delivered to the supermarket.

Developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institutes for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME in Schmallenberg and for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM in Freiburg, the system checks gas emissions on-line - directly in the warehouse for instance.

"We have brought together various technologies based on the use of metal oxide sensors, similar to those installed in cars, for example, to close ventilation vents when driving through a tunnel. Researchers at IPM have developed these sensors further. If a gas flows over the sensor, at temperatures of 300 to 400 degree Celsius, it will burn at the point of contact. The subsequent exchange of electrons changes the electrical conductivity," said Dr. Mark Bucking, Head of Department at IME.

He added: "Before the gas reaches these sensors, it has to go through a separation column with polymers. Certain substances are already filtered out here."

A prototype of the analysis equipment already exists, and its initial tests were quite promising.

The system measures the volatile substances just as sensitively as conventional equipment used in food laboratories. n a further step, the researchers want to optimise the system and adapt it to specific problems.

Bucking has claimed that the equipment could come onto the market at a four-digit euro price.

The researchers are also investigating whether the equipment could be used to test pork.

The male pig produces hormones and certain odorous substances necessary for reproduction, but it could be really unpleasant to human noses.

Most pigs are slaughtered well before sexual maturity- before any odorous substances have formed in the majority of pigs.

However, because of the risk that some boars could produce odorous substances prematurely, all boars are castrated when they are young piglets.

Castration may not be necessary in the future if the pork could be tested on-line before it is packaged. (ANI)