Lasers Are Here to Save Us from Food Poisoning

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It feels like every day there’s story about yet another food being recalled due to e. coli or some other dangerous bacteria. But new technology could put an end to that. The best part: It’s a laser! It’s just like the future we always imagined.

Detailed in a paper written by scientists from the Korea Advanced Institutes of Science and Technology, the laser (it’s red) is able to detect the movement of microorganisms on food and then capture evidence of the bacteria immediately with a camera.

Right now, food producers use a complex system of mass spectrometry or microbiological culturing to detect potentially disastrous foodborne bacteria. Both methods are expensive and require training. The laser, on the other hand, would be much cheaper and easier to operate. Plus, it works through plastic wrap.

The laser is currently still in development, but the scientists are hopeful that it will not only prove useful in food processing facilities but also in home refrigerators.

[h/t Gizmodo]