Edible Olive Oil Lasers: A New Way to Track Food Safety?
Imagine a world where you can track the freshness and safety of your food right from the inside. Well, scientists have just taken a giant leap in that direction by creating the first-ever microlaser made entirely from edible materials! It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, doesn't it?
These aren't your average lasers; we're talking about tiny light sources crafted from things you'd find in your kitchen. The secret ingredient? Olive oil. Researchers discovered that when droplets of olive oil are hit with a certain amount of energy, they emit photons—tiny particles of light. Arrange these droplets strategically, and you've got yourself a laser.
But why olive oil? It turns out that chlorophyll, the same stuff that makes plants green, plays a key role. The chlorophyll molecules trapped in the olive oil generate photons in a sort of chain reaction, effectively turning the droplet into a laser.
What's even cooler is that these microlasers are highly sensitive to their surroundings. The brightness of the chlorophyll changes depending on the size and density of the oil droplets. This sensitivity allows researchers to measure things like sugar concentration or acidity in food.
Think about the possibilities! You could potentially scan a product and instantly know if it's safe to eat or if it's about to expire. This technology could revolutionize food safety and help reduce food waste.
The scientists even managed to encode data, like a barcode, into these droplets. In one experiment, they embedded the date "April 26, 2017" (the first international Stop Food Waste Date) into a peach compote. Amazingly, the data remained intact for over a year, proving that these microlasers can safely carry information like the manufacturer's identity or an expiration date.
Of course, this is just the beginning. As the researchers themselves noted, there are countless possibilities for developing different edible lasers and their applications. Who knows? Maybe someday we'll all be using edible lasers to monitor our health or track the origin of our food.
Source: Gizmodo