US agency develops instrument to detect poultry spoilage

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have designed an instrument that can detect trace amounts of chemical compounds that indicate poultry spoilage without damaging the product itself.

NIST research chemists Tom Bruno and Tara Lovestead separated and identified six potential low-volatility chemical markers that show poultry spoilage before it becomes unhealthy, early in the decay process.

The researchers sampled the headspace, or the air above a test sample, using a short, alumina-coated tube cooled to very low temperatures via a technique called cryoadsorption. The sampling method is robust and flexible in terms of where and how it can be used, according to NIST.

NIST is an agency of the US Commerce Department.