Researchers develop portable food sensor to detect both pathogens, chemical contaminants

USA – Researchers at the University of Texas have developed a portable food safety device, EnliSense’s Rapid Electroanalytic Diagnostic Food Water Diagnosis (READ FWDx), designed to detect both unwanted foodborne bacteria and chemical contaminants.

It can detect bacteria, including E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella, herbicides such as paraquat dichloride and glyphosate, as well as antibiotics.

READ FWDx’s portable design and multiple chemical and microbiological detection capabilities are enabled by the adaptive electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technology. 

The device combines 16 sensors with different detection capabilities on a single chip, enabling it to rapidly measure the concentrations of various contaminants in a single sample, within seven minutes.

Its chip is easily customizable, with the ability to swap out sensors tuned to different contaminants.

The development of READ FWDx was led by Shalini Prasad, Ph.D., a Professor in the University of Texas at Dallas’ Department of Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering. 

Dr. Prasad co-founded EnLiSense with her spouse and engineer Sriram Muthukumar, Ph.D.

EnLiSense and the research team behind READ FWDx envision delivering the sensor to the public in the form of a single-use, portable chip with a one-year shelf life when stored at home. 

They also hope to interest the food industry in READ FWDx as an onsite, point-of-use detection device to ensure food safety when rapid turnaround is required.

“We have so many gadgets that measure all our body parameters, like heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar,” said Shalini Prasad.

“But what do we have in the context of our food?” Shalini Prasad added.

That question lies at the heart of READ FWDx’s development, bringing the same real-time diagnostic capability we expect in personal health to the realm of food safety.

Scientific Validation for Market Readiness

READ FWDx has already demonstrated strong performance in peer-reviewed studies. 

A June 2024 study, published in Biosensors, confirmed that the device could detect E. coli O157:H7 within five minutes. 

A May study in the same journal showed its ability to detect zearalenone, a fungal mycotoxin often found in moldy grains like corn, wheat, and barley, posing risks to both human and animal health.

Another study, published in April, showed that the sensor could simultaneously detect two mycotoxins: zearalenone and aflatoxin B1, the latter produced by Aspergillus flavus and known for its carcinogenic effects in animals.

Ultimately, the team aims to position READ FWDx as a scalable and accessible solution for manufacturers, commercial laboratories, and food producers, enabling quick and reliable point-of-care testing to prevent contamination and reduce food loss.

“The vision with READ FWDx is to increase the number of point-in-time batch tests because it becomes accessible and affordable,” said Dr. Prasad. “This has broadly been regarded by manufacturers as a stable and scalable strategy to accurately identify food contamination, reduce product loss, and minimize exposure.”

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