Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas are developing a food safety sensor to detect contaminations and bacteria. Here’s everything you need to know about READ.
There has been an increase in food-borne illnesses over the last few months, the most notable of which being the ongoing Cyclospora outbreak, which is impacting residents across Texas, particularly in the southern region of the state. New cases of salmonella have also been reported, making it a tough time to figure out what food is okay to eat and what isn’t.
As UT Dallas Ph.D. student Kundan Mishra put it, the question on everyone’s mind is, “Is the food that you are eating actually safe?” It’s something that Mishra and fellow researcher Bianca David—who is also a Ph. D. student at UT Dallas—are trying to help answer with greater ease. The duo are working alongside a group of researchers to develop a portable food safety sensor known as READ, short for Rapid Electro-Analytical Device.
David said, “We’re seeing you can’t eat this. You can’t go to this restaurant — be aware of this,” but there’s no convenient way for people to check food for themselves before consuming it. Mishra added, “You can see the salad looks fresh, but we do not know whether [there is] contamination there.” That’s where READ comes in.
The food sensor can detect around 16 contaminants present in food and requires a simple test to present these results. David explained, “Something as simple as, ‘Hey, I bought a salad today. Oh, is it infected?’ We’re able to provide that with our device.” But how exactly does it work? And when can the general public expect to have access to this tool?
READ requires a small sample to find bacteria in food
According to researchers at UT Dallas, the science behind READ is relatively simple. They started with computer chips and “re-engineered those devices to be able to have what is called a ‘single capture measurement,” as Shalini Prasad, Ph.D., previously explained to CBS News in July. Prasad serves as the department head of bioengineering at the university, and is a Systems Biology Science Cecil H. and Ida Green Professor at UTD’s Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.
Essentially, to test food, Prasad said, “You take it, mush it with your hand, and drop it on the sensor.” Once the food is on the electrode, Kundan Mishra said, it’s read and registered into READ’s app. “Within a minute it will tell you whether the food is safe to eat, or it is not safe to eat,” Mishra told Spectrum News. It’s taken Mishra, Bianca David, and a team of researchers several years to develop and hone the technology.
Prasad explained to Spectrum News that they were currently seeking partners to help bring the technology to market, AKA to manufacture it and make it available to the public. “What I want for this is not to be a lab prototype, but to be a product that can be purchased,” Prasad said. The next part of the process involves pilot testing, meaning they’ll distribute READ to select partners to determine its overall effectiveness.
It would likely be another year before consumer kitchens (we the people) would have access to READ. In the meantime, to keep yourself safe, follow these guidelines for the best ways to wash food to avoid bacteria and the illnesses they bring.
