A ray gun in every kitchen?

As a child who watched countless hours of science fiction classics; War of the Worlds, Star Trek, Star Wars, and Howard the Duck (Yes, Howard the Duck.  How can you not respect and love, a wise-cracking music-loving alien duck that saved us all from a race of monsters?), I learned without a shadow of a doubt that lasers are simply awesome. 

 

In the movies, lasers are associated with massive amounts of destructive force and incredible weaponry; however, in reality, lasers are a relatively weak source of energy, and it is this reason rather than lack of military effort, for why an effective laser ray gun has not, nor will ever likely be developed.  Although our inner-child might be a tad disappointed at this news, the use of lasers, whether it’s to measure the distance to the moon, use high tech microscopy, optical fibers, or conduct revolutionary surgery, is far more interesting and diverse in real life.

 

Gasporox, a Swedish company focusing on laser technology, has collaborated with several faculty researchers at Lund University to develop a new laser application that may revolutionize the food that we purchase at a grocery store.  At least once, most people have unfortunately purchased packaged meat or produce only to bring it home and find that it is already spoiled, even though the expiration date says otherwise.

 

One way to deal with spoilage has been the development and use of preservatives; however, due to the potential health issues that these chemicals may cause and the rise in the “organic” movement with regards to food; other ways were needed to maintain food freshness, such as better packaging.

 

Oxygen is the enemy of food and a good packaging acts as a protective environmental barrier; however, the best plastic packaging is far from perfect.  Given enough time, oxygen will seep into any packaging, no matter the quality, causing increased bacterial growth and spoilage to occur.  This spoilage, of course, can be worsened with packaging that already has damaged integrity. 

 

Presently, the ability to check the freshness of packaged food is highly inefficient and based on a handful of random quality control checks to determine if an entire shipment of food is safe for consumers. Needless to say, it is not surprising that a large amount of spoiled food might make it to market.

 

However, with the use of a handheld laser, Gasporox’s researchers have developed a technique that accurately and non-invasively measures oxygen composition in sealed packages. Low oxygen means that the packaging has not been compromised and the food is fresh.  High oxygen levels means it's better to throw it out.

 

With this new laser device, random quality control may be a thing of the past as the freshness of an entire shipment could be tested. Also since utilizing the laser is safe and non-invasive, as it does not require the destruction of the packaging like most presently used quality control techniques, multiple measurements can be taken from a single package, which can be invaluable in determining more accurate expiration dates and leading to the development of better packaging.  Soon individual markets may also be able to spot check any product and pull it off the shelves once its freshness is compromised.

 

With any luck, not only will we not have to deal with bad food from the grocery store, but maybe we will all have one of these things in our kitchens too. Never again will we be forced to scrunch our noses or gag at the smell and taste of spoiled food and leftovers that we find shoved in the corner of our refrigerators.