The new type of sensor can easily detect the freshness of fish.

To determine if fish is fresh, people often examine the fish eyes and gills, or smell its odor. But a more accurate method is to look for the compounds that appear when fish begins to deteriorate. According to the latest issue of the journal "ACS Sensors," an international research team led by Monash University in Australia has developed a needle-based electronic sensor that can determine the freshness of fish by detecting the level of hypoxanthine in the fish's body within two minutes, providing a new tool for food quality and safety testing.