Gas and liquid sensors for quality control in food processing

There are various type of analytical methods applied to food that can provide information concerning physical and chemical characteristics of food, including data about major and minor constituents. However, these methods are often complicated, time consuming and require analyte separation prior to detection. The food industry has general need to have simple, rapid and non destructive methods suitable for processing and quality control. In this contest, gas and liquid sensors can offer unique opportunities for rapid monitoring of food production, packaging and storage. Furthermore, sensors can be applied to on-line monitoring, providing real time information on processed food. This report presents interesting results obtained by using a commercial electronic nose and an home-made electronic tongue to define the shelf life of Crescenza cheese and to evaluate an important sensorial quality parameter, as the astringency of wine is.