New technologies speed up food contaminant detection

By Randy Woodson, Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture

The U.S. food supply is the safest in the world, but still food contamination sickens millions of Americans annually. Part of the problem is the time that it takes to identify food contaminants. Current detection methods are slow and may take days.

At Purdue University, The Center for Food Safety Engineering is developing new technologies to quickly detect food-borne pathogens. Among them:
• Biochips the size of a postage stamp that can detect bacteria in a very small sample in about one hour.
• Light scattering technology that can identify E. coli based on light patterns formed by the bacteria.
• Infrared sensors that measure light wavelengths absorbed by food in order to identify pathogens.

Other research seeks ways to destroy these pathogens before they can sicken consumers. Purdue Agriculture is helping to engineer, produce, process and deliver the safest and best-quality food products possible.

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