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"Looks alright, just give it a quick sniff to double check" – familiar words when it comes to dubious attempts at satisfying ourselves that the mincemeat sat at the back of the fridge for a fortnight is still edible.
But what if we now tell you that most of the poisonous compounds that are produced when meat spoils are actually odourless, meaning however trained your nostrils you won't have a chance at picking up on lurking listeria. Still want to make that bolognese?
That's exactly what prompted inventor Augustas Alesiunas to devise a more effective method of testing food safety after falling ill with food poisoning – the electronic 'FOOD sniffer.' Resembling a hand held remote the device is simply pointed at a piece of raw meat or fish and then sends a reading to your phone advising whether the food is fresh, hazardous to health, a risk of food poisoning or been left unrefrigerated too long by detecting temperature, humidity and ammonia levels among other 'invisible' indications.
Unfortunately, the reader only extends to beef, chicken, lamb, fish and seafood, but only in their raw state so there is no escape for whoever's job it was to test the rancid milk carton in your household. And let's face it, there's probably hours of fun to be had pointing the probe at friends and family detecting their level of 'freshness,' but at $129, it might prove a joke too far.
