Toward the Development of Combined Artificial Sensing Systems for Food Quality Evaluation: A Review on the Application of Data Fusion of Electronic Noses, Electronic Tongues and Electronic Eyes

Devices known as electronic noses (ENs), electronic tongues (ETs), and electronic eyes (EEs) have been developed in recent years in the in situ study of real matrices with little or no manipulation of the sample at all. The final goal could be the evaluation of overall quality parameters such as sensory features, indicated by the "smell", "taste", and "color" of the sample under investigation or in the quantitative detection of analytes. The output of these sensing systems can be analyzed using multivariate data analysis strategies to relate specific patterns in the signals with the required information. In addition, using suitable data-fusion techniques, the combination of data collected from ETs, ENs, and EEs can provide more accurate information about the sample than any of the individual sensing devices. This review's purpose is to collect recent advances in the development of combined ET, EN, and EE systems for assessing food quality, paying particular attention to the different data-fusion strategies applied.

Historical Evolution and Food Control Achievements of Near Infrared Spectroscopy, Electronic Nose, and Electronic Tongue-Critical Overview

Amid today's stringent regulations and rising consumer awareness, failing to meet quality standards often results in health and financial compromises. In the lookout for solutions, the food industry has seen a surge in high-performing systems all along the production chain. By virtue of their wide-range designs, speed, and real-time data processing, the electronic tongue (E-tongue), electronic nose (E-nose), and near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy have been at the forefront of quality control technologies. The instruments have been used to fingerprint food properties and to control food production from farm-to-fork. Coupled with advanced chemometric tools, these high-throughput yet cost-effective tools have shifted the focus away from lengthy and laborious conventional methods. This special issue paper focuses on the historical overview of the instruments and their role in food quality measurements based on defined food matrices from the Codex General Standards. The instruments have been used to detect, classify, and predict adulteration of dairy products, sweeteners, beverages, fruits and vegetables, meat, and fish products. Multiple physico-chemical and sensory parameters of these foods have also been predicted with the instruments in combination with chemometrics. Their inherent potential for speedy, affordable, and reliable measurements makes them a perfect choice for food control. The high sensitivity of the instruments can sometimes be generally challenging due to the influence of environmental conditions, but mathematical correction techniques exist to combat these challenges.

Factors Influencing the Long-Term Stability of Electronic Tongue and Application of Improved Drift Correction Methods

Temperature, memory effect, and cross-contamination are suspected to contribute to drift in electronic tongue (e-tongue) sensors, therefore drift corrections are required. This paper aimed to assess the disturbing effects on the sensor signals during measurement with an Alpha Astree e-tongue and to develop drift correction techniques. Apple juice samples were measured at different temperatures. pH change of apple juice samples was measured to assess cross-contamination. Different sequential orders of model solutions and apple juice samples were applied to evaluate the memory effect. Model solutions corresponding to basic tastes and commercial apple juice samples were measured for six consecutive weeks to model drift of the sensor signals. Result showed that temperature, cross-contamination, and memory effect influenced the sensor signals. Three drift correction methods: additive drift correction based on all samples, additive drift correction based on reference samples, and multi sensor linear correction, were developed and compared to the component correction in literature through linear discriminant analysis (LDA). LDA analysis showed all the four methods were effective in reducing sensor drift in long-term measurements but the additive correction relative to the whole sample set gave the best results. The results could be explored for long-term measurements with the e-tongue.

Might silicon surface be used for electronic tongue application?

An electronic tongue concept based on 2D mapping of photogenerated charge carrier lifetimes in silicon put in contact with different liquids is reported. Such method based on intrinsic sensitivity of the silicon surface states to the surrounding studied liquids allows creation of their characteristic electronic fingerprints. To increase recognition reliability, a set of characteristic fingerprints for a given liquid/silicon interface is proposed to be recorded at different bias voltages. The applicative potential of our sensing concept was demonstrated for different spirits and water samples.

On-line monitoring of food fermentation processes using electronic noses and electronic tongues: a review

Fermentation processes are often sensitive to even slight changes of conditions that may result in unacceptable end-product quality. Thus, close follow-up of this type of processes is critical for detecting unfavorable deviations as early as possible in order to save downtime, materials and resources. Nevertheless the use of traditional analytical techniques is often hindered by the need for expensive instrumentation and experienced operators and complex sample preparation. In this sense, one of the most promising ways of developing rapid and relatively inexpensive methods for quality control in fermentation processes is the use of chemical multisensor systems. In this work we present an overview of the most important contributions dealing with the monitoring of fermentation processes using electronic noses and electronic tongues. After a brief description of the fundamentals of both types of devices, the different approaches are critically commented, their strengths and weaknesses being highlighted. Finally, future trends in this field are also mentioned in the last section of the article.

New insights into sensors based on radical bisphthalocyanines

The unique semiconducting, optical and electrochemical properties of radical lanthanide bisphthalocyanines make them ideal materials for sensing applications. A variety of chemical sensors have been developed using rare-earth bisphthalocyanine thin films. In this paper, the characteristics of sensors based on bisphthalocyanines are reviewed. The advantages of these sensors with respect to sensors developed using other metallophthalocyanines are discussed. Resistive sensors based on bisphthalocyanines change their conductivity when exposed to a variety of pollutant gases and volatile organic compounds. Because bisphthalocyanines are intrinsic semiconductors, the conductivity of their thin films is higher than the conductivity of metallophthalocyanine thin films. This facilitates the electrical measurements and enhances the sensitivity of the sensors. Optical sensors have also been developed based on the rich optical properties shown by bisphthalocyanines. Films characterized by a bright green color change to red or to blue upon oxidation or reduction. The changes also affect the charge-transfer band associated to the free radical that bisphthalocyanines show in the near infrared region. This band coincides with telecommunication wavelengths, making possible the fabrication of fiber optic sensors where a phthalocyanine film is deposited at one of the ends of the fiber. Electrochemical sensors have been developed taking advantage of the unique electrochemical behavior associated to the one-electron oxidation and one-electron reduction of the phthalocyanine ring. These reversible processes are extremely sensitive to the nature of the electrolytic solution. This has made possible the development of voltammetric sensors able to produce particular signals when immersed in different liquids. In the last part of the paper, the fundamentals and performance characteristics of electronic noses and electronic tongues based on bisphthalocyanines are described. Such devices have been successfully exploited in quality control, classification, freshness evaluation and authenticity assessment of a variety of food, mainly wines and olive oils.

Review: highlights in recent applications of electronic tongues in food analysis

This paper examines the main features of modern electronic tongues (e-tongues) and their most important applications in food analysis in this new century. The components of an e-tongue (automatic sampler, array of chemical sensors, and data processing system) are described. Applications commented include process monitoring, freshness evaluation and shelf-life investigation, authenticity assessment, foodstuff recognition, quantitative analysis, and other quality control studies. Finally, some interesting remarks concerning the strengths and weaknesses of e-tongues in food analysis are also mentioned.

Evaluation of a taste sensor instrument (electronic tongue) for use in formulation development

A taste sensor instrument (electronic tongue) was evaluated to determine its utility in developing a taste-enhanced liquid formulation. To train the electronic tongue, human sensory panel data were collected for two prototype formulations, a solution of the drug in water and several marketed products. Studies using the electronic tongue were conducted to determine taste-masking effectiveness of formulations compared to a matching placebo, to establish correlation with human sensory data, and to evaluate unknown formulations and predict their bitterness scores. In the first experiment, the effectiveness of a proposed taste-masking strategy was determined by comparing formulation prototypes containing a bitter active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) against corresponding placebos (i.e. formulations without an active ingredient) using electronic tongue data. The analysis of the electronic tongue data was based on the assumption that the drug was well taste masked if the placebo matched the formulation with API. In a second set of experiments, electronic tongue data were compared to existing data from a human taste panel for several marketed products and prototype formulations. A good correlation (r(2)=0.99) was achieved from this comparison, and the relative taste of prototype formulations not tasted by humans was predicted.

Sensor arrays for liquid sensing--electronic tongue systems

Electronic tongue systems are multisensor devices dedicated to automatic analysis of complicated composition samples and to the recognition of their characteristic properties. Recently, the number of publications covering this topic has significantly increased. Many possible architectures of such devices were proposed: potentiometric, voltammetric, as well as approaches embracing mass- and optical-sensors. For the analysis of sensor array data, various pattern recognition systems were proposed. All of these topics are summarized in this review. Moreover, additional problems are considered: miniaturization of electronic tongues and hybrid systems for liquid sensing.

Development of an electronic tongue based on a PEDOT-modified voltammetric sensor

Three different electrodes were tested for use as nonspecific amperometric sensors for blind analysis on real matrices, namely different fruit juices from different fruits or different brands. The first two electrodes were traditional Pt and Au electrodes, while the third one was modified with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) conducting polymer. The sensors were tested separately, tested coupled to each other, and also tested together. The responses of the electrode system(s) were first screened via PCA and then their discriminant capabilities were quantified in terms of the sensitivities and specificities of their corresponding PLS-DA multivariate classification models. Particular attention was paid to analyzing the evolution of the response over subsequent potential sweeps. The modified electrode demonstrated the most discriminating ability, and it was the only system capable of satisfactorily performing the most complex task attempted during the analysis: discriminating between juices from the same fruit but from different brands. Moreover, the electrode "cleaning" procedure required between two subsequent potential sweeps was much simpler for the modified electrode than for the others. This electrode system was therefore shown to be a good candidate for use as an informative element in an electronic tongue applied to the analysis of other food matrices.

l-Glutamate biosensor for estimation of the taste of tomato specimens

An amperometric biosensor has been developed for measurement of Umami, or the taste based on the amount of L-glutamate, in tomato foods. The biosensor is based on an enzyme-mediator system in which L-glutamate oxidase is used for biochemical oxidation of L-glutamate and a tetrafulvalene-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TTF-TCNQ) paste, prepared from the mixture of TTF-TCNQ salt, graphite powder, and silicone oil, serves as the mediator. The limit of detection, calculated by use of a four-parameter logistic model, was 0.05 mmol L(-1), and the limit of quantification was 0.15 mmol L(-1). The correlation coefficient (R2) was 0.990 and the relative standard deviation was no more than 1% (n=5). The response time (tau (95)) was 20-50 s, depending on concentration. The repeatability of the sensor was better than 5% (n=10). The sensor developed was stable for more than ten days.

Optosensing behavior of the first Ru(II)-compound of di-2-pyridylketone-p-nitrophenylhydrazone (dpknph), [Ru(bpy)2(dpknph)]Cl2

The reaction between Ru(bpy)(2)Cl(2) (bpy=2,2'-bipyridine) and di-2-pyridylketone-p-nitrophenylhydrazone (dpknph) in refluxing ethanol gave [Ru(bpy)(2)(dpknph)]Cl(2) in good yield. Optical measurements on [Ru(bpy)(2)(dpknph)]Cl(2) in non-aqueous media revealed the presence of two interlocked electronic states due to conformational changes associated with the hydrazone moiety of [Ru(bpy)(2)(dpknph)]Cl(2). The equilibrium distribution of the high-energy beta-conformation associated with the high-energy electronic state and the low-energy alpha-conformation associated with the low-energy electronic state is solvent and solute dependent controlled by the solvent-solute and solute-solute interactions. The interplay between the alpha- and beta-conformations of [Ru(bpy)(2)(dpknph)]Cl(2) allowed calculations of the extinction coefficients of electronic states by forcing the equilibrium to shift to one conformation using chemical stimuli. Extinction coefficients of 56000+/-2000 and 48500+/-2000 M(-1) cm(-1) were calculated in DMSO for the beta- and alpha-conformations of [Ru(bpy)(2)(dpknph)]Cl(2), respectively, using excess HgCl(2) in DMSO. Thermo-optical measurements on [Ru(bpy)(2)(dpknph)]Cl(2) in DMSO confirmed the interconversion between the alpha- and beta-conformations of [Ru(bpy)(2)(dpknph)]Cl(2) and gave changes in enthalpy (DeltaH(ø)) of -35.5+/-4.0 and 13.0+/-0.5 kJ mol(-1), entropy (DeltaS(ø)) of -126.9+/-20 and 45.2+/-4.5 kJ mol(-1), and free energy (DeltaG(ø)) of 2.31+/-0.2 and -0.48+/-0.2 kJ mol(-1) in the absence and presence of NaBH(4) at 295 K. The high values for the extinction coefficients and low values and sensitivity of the activation parameters for the interconversion between the alpha- and beta-conformations of [Ru(bpy)(2)(dpknph)]Cl(2) in DMSO to solution composition allowed for the use of this system ([Ru(bpy)(2)(dpknph)]Cl(2) and surrounding solvent or solute molecules) as a spectrophotometric sensor for a variety of chemical stimuli that include metal ions. Group 12 metal ions in concentrations as low as 1.00x10(-8) M can be detected and determined using [Ru(bpy)(2)(dpknph)]Cl(2) in DMSO in the presence and absence of NaBH(4).