Philippine E-Journals

Fabrication and Characterization of Tin Oxide Nanomaterial as Electronic Nose Sensor for Evaluation of Meat Freshness

Norberto T. Alcantara | Ma. Lourdes T. Francisco | Trina Elisse T. Regalado | Gil Nonato C. Santos

 

Abstract:

Meat is highly prone to spoilage due to bacterial growth which can release off-odors and produce slime. In order to protect people from dangerous health effects brought about the consumption of spoiled meat, an electronic nose system was constructed to evaluate the freshness of meat. Tin Oxide nanomaterials were synthesized using the Horizontal Vapor Phase Growth (HVPG) method. The grown nanomaterial was then characterized under the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Energy to the meat sample for 3 days with 10 hours data acquisition each day. The odor of the fresh meat and the spoiled meat were also analyzed using Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) and Gas Chromatograph – Mass Spectrometry. Results showed that there was an increase in the voltage reading of the fabricated gas sensor as the meat was spoiled for 3 days. Results from the SPME and GC-MS also show that there was only the compound, trimethylsilyl fluoride found in the meat odor when it was fresh and several compounds such as Indole and Palmitic acid were found in the spoiled meat odor. Therefore, a relationship between the voltage readings and the presence of the volatile compounds were established to be direct.