Electronic Sensing Technologies in Food Quality Assessment: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Abstract

This manuscript was prepared for the purpose of an in-depth analysis of the development of electronic sensors in food quality assessment. In this study, the following research question was asked: What are the arguments for the development of electronic sensors for food assessment? The aim of this work was to comprehensively review the current scientific literature presenting the discussed issues and their systematization, as well as to present the prospects, threats, and applications of electronic sensors in food quality testing. The greatest interest of researchers lies in the use of e-nose. In contrast, fewer publications concerned e-tongue applications, and the smallest number of works concerned e-eye application. The initial application of electronic sensors in the food industry progressed from research on the identification of single ingredients or properties to the creation of increasingly complex research instruments that comprehensively analyze areas of food characteristics. Specifically, e-sensor research has focused on individual e-nose, e-tongue, and e-eye devices and has not provided complete information about food. This is confirmed by the high accuracy of research results regarding the combined use of sensors in food quality assessment.