Packaging that can detect when food has expired is being developed by scientists at the University of California.
The developments have huge potential for application in the dairy industry, including the detection of specific bacteria like E coli.
The packaging would rely on the use of transistors made of organic materials, rather than the traditional silicon. This means that much lower temperatures can be used – allowing circuits to be printed on materials including plastic and paper.
One major barrier to using the technology in packaging would be the cost. The development team expects to be able to produce a prototype printer for the circuits by the summer and is working on the infrastructure needed to support the packaging sensors.
The processing speed of organic transistors is much slower than silicon circuits. Also, organic circuits can become redundant within days or weeks if exposed to air or water.