Next Generation Sensors help agri-food sector detect contaminations

The fipronil egg and the salmonella contamination in baby milk, these are just two examples of recent food scandals that have occupied the world and caused enormous damage. Testing our food is important, but detecting potential contamination in the agri-food sector is costly and time-consuming. New technology from Next Generation Sensors is helping to solve this problem.

Testing outside the laboratory

Next Generation Sensors is a startup, affiliated with the Brightlands Innovation Factory in Geleen. The company developed the Handheld Molecular Contaminants Screener (HMCS), a portable device that can test samples real time outside the lab. The sample does not come to the lab, but the lab to the sample.

To illustrate, having a sample examined in a lab can easily cost two hundred euros per hour. And by the time the results are in, the food has long been in the supermarket or processed. For the agri-food sector, therefore, being able to test quickly on location means a significant cost and time saving.

Innovative technology

For decades, it was not an option to perform the tests outside the laboratory. Factors such as weight, size, need for power and user knowledge made it impossible. Recently, however, steps have been taken to apply the technique of mass spectometry in portable devices.

Next Generation Sensors is one company contributing to this development. The HMCS focuses not only on on-site testing, but also on ease of use and fast results.

Testing across the chain

The medical sector has long benefited from the sensors of Next Generation Sensors, but now the sights are set on the agro-food sector. The sensors detect contaminants such as pesticides, bacteria and antibiotics. There is a great need to be able to examine products more quickly and cheaply for possible contamination, both in the production phase and later in the chain. Chances of contamination have increased due to the liberalization of the food trade. The HMCS makes it possible to carry out the tests while the crops are still in the field, but also at later stages in the process.

Source Brightlands Innovation Factory, Next Generation Sensors