According to a December 9th posting in FoodSafety magazine, Concordia University has developed an inexpensive, paper-based synthetic sensor to detect putrescine, a toxic biogenic amine elaborated with spoilage of meat. The sensor system was able to detect progressive spoilage, demonstrating differences between meat held under controlled conditions at either refrigeration or room temperature.
This technology is a potentially practical method of confirming spoilage currently relying on organoleptic examination that is subjective and subject to operator bias. Further development is necessary before the product will become commercially available.