Researchers over at the Fraunhofer Institutes for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME in Schmallenberg and for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM in Freiburg (Germany) have developed a fruit sniffing/fruit sniffer device which is able to detect if a particular fruit is ready to be consumed.

The device uses metal oxide sensors in order to detect the ripeness of the fruit. The fruit sniffer will supposedly fetch for a four-digit dollar price and will be marketed to supermarket suppliers.

The researchers are also trying to find out if they can use a simliar technology to inspect pork:

The researchers are also investigating whether the equipment could be used to test pork. The male pig produces hormones and certain odorous substances necessary for reproduction. What the female pig finds attractive, however, smells anything but pleasant to human noses. It’s true that most pigs are slaughtered well before sexual maturity – before any odorous substances have formed in the majority of pigs. As there is the risk, however, that some boars could produce odorous substances prematurely, all boars are castrated when they are young piglets. Castration may not be necessary in the future if the pork could be tested on-line before it is packaged.