Mobile E-Nose Device Tests Meat and Fish for Freshness
Author: Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2013/10/31 - Updated: 2026/02/07
Publication Type: Product Release, Update
Category Topic: Offbeat News - Related Publications
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This product represents an innovative food safety tool developed by Lithuanian company ART21 in partnership with Kaunas University of Technology. The portable electronic nose addresses a critical need for consumers who require reliable methods to assess food quality before consumption. Unlike existing industrial e-nose technology that costs thousands of dollars and requires laboratory settings, this USB flash drive-sized device uses sensor arrays with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity to analyze chemical properties and gases released by meat, poultry, and fish. The information proves particularly valuable for people with disabilities, seniors, and individuals with compromised immune systems who face heightened risks from foodborne illness, offering them an affordable EUR 150 solution to independently verify food safety through their smartphones before eating potentially spoiled or contaminated products - Disabled World (DW).
Introduction
e-Nose App Helps Identify Food Freshness
The world's first mobile e-nose designed to determine the freshness and quality of meat, poultry, and fish is being developed by the Lithuanian company ART21, in cooperation with Kaunas University of Technology. The product will be presented at the largest information and communications technology event in Europe, ICT2013, which will take place on 6-8 November.
Whilst similar devices are already on the market, they are for industrial or laboratory application. In contrast, the e-nose under development by the Lithuanians is small and neat, being no bigger than a USB flash drive. The device has a sensor array and data transfer technologies - Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Main Content
The company's shareholder and board member Augustas Alesanas says that the e-nose's purpose is to 'smell' certain chemical properties and gases released by meat, poultry, and fish, and by using a number of algorithms to identify:
- A product's level of freshness (from very fresh to dangerous to consume).
- Dangerous chemical elements and toxic substances which can cause serious diseases and cancer.
The e-nose will transfer data to a smartphone, where software will analyze and present data in a simple and user-friendly way. Users will also be able to receive the nose's test results using smartphones, and share their experience, opinions, and information on social websites.
Mr Alesanas predicts that the e-nose's retail price could be around EUR 150. He hopes to find most demand in Western Europe, the U.S., Canada, and Lithuania. "We wanted to create a device that would help everybody who cares about nutrition to quickly and effectively assess the food they are about to eat," he says.
According to Mr Alesanas, this innovative device has the following exceptional features: small size, the use of smartphones for data, and a very attractive price - alternative solutions are at least ten times bigger and cost 10-100 times more.
Rimantas Sinkevaius, Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania, said that ICT 2013 is a great opportunity for the company that developed the e-nose, as well as for Lithuania to demonstrate its potential to the world.
"Information and communications technology is our niche. We lead Europe with our number of hotspots, and Vilnius has the highest Internet download speed in the world. We have many more achievements to be proud of, and can compete in Europe and globally," the Minister concluded.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: The development of accessible food safety technology marks a significant shift from institutional-only solutions to consumer-level protection. While health departments and food processors have long relied on expensive laboratory equipment to monitor food quality, this democratization of testing capability puts the same scientific rigor into the hands of individual shoppers. For vulnerable populations - including elderly adults living independently, people with disabilities managing their own households, and those with conditions that make them more susceptible to food poisoning - the ability to verify food freshness at point of purchase or before cooking could prevent serious illness and hospitalizations. As food supply chains grow increasingly complex and recalls become more frequent, personal food safety devices may transition from novelty items to essential kitchen tools, particularly for those who cannot easily replace spoiled food or access medical care if they become ill - Disabled World (DW).
Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.