#	Pagina
attuale pagina	/open-h2020/projects/213172/results.html

Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MOLOKO (Multiplex phOtonic sensor for pLasmonic-based Online detection of contaminants in milK)

Teaser

Summary

The objective of MOLOKO project is the real-time monitoring of up to 10 food safety and quality indicators including antibiotics, toxins and quality parameters in milk by means of a self-managing and automatic integrated photonic sensor.
By delivering a detailed reading in about 5-10 minutes, the sensor can look for any antibiotics ingested by the cows that have been transmitted to the milk. Using the collected information, companies can prevent contaminants, such as antibiotics and aflatoxin, to enter the food chain.
Compared to the standard tests that take days to perform across dairy farms today, this new integrated optical sensor will be the easiest way to determine the presence of milk components (such as kappa-casein proteins) that are quality parameters for milk and dairy products.
The same readout can prevent food poisoning outbreaks like Staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) while at the same time predicting milk quality (Kappa Casein) and cow health (lactoferrin).
The innovative technology is based on organic photonics, nanoplasmonics, biodiagnostics with immunoassays and microfluidics on a platform fit-for-use in milk production facilities.
The MOLOKO project is an ICT-H2020 innovation action started in January 2018, which aims at project to develop and commercialise portable in-cloud sensors for the on-site monitoring of milk quality throughout the entire value chain.

Work performed

The technical avtivity performed in the first reporting period (18 months) was mainly devoted to:
- definition of the specifications of the single device components comprising the final optical sensor in order to meet the requests of the end-users in terms of sensitivity, limits of detection, measure time, usability
- definition of the list of the analytes to be detected in relation to real applications scenario: quality vs safety detection, position along the value chain of milk (milking, collecting and processing), measure protocol
- engineering and realization of the single optoelectronic and plasmonic devices
- design of the microfluidic module
- development of the immunoassay set to be used in the detection scheme
- integration of the components into relevant subsystems for the realization of the sensor
- assessment on the effectiveness of the perfoemance as-designed sensor
- assessment of the possible market-placement and the competitiveness of the sensor in the dairy value chain by analysing the patent landscape and defyning and composing an external advisory industrial panel

Final results

Strict monitoring of raw material and semi-finished products quality parameters are emerging as an invaluable tool for improving the general efficiency of the dairy chain and, particularly, in abating production losses and enhancing the nutritional and organolectic constancy and quality of the finished product. Quality and safety control in the dairy industry may generate a large number of analyses with significant associated costs. On the other side, consumers demand for high quality products, competitiveness, and efforts to reduce food waste and losses motivate innovation.
The development and application of fast, sensitive and cost-effective analytic systems for residues, contaminants, pathogens and quality parameters in milk could aid the industry in the reduction of overheads, find new uses in dairy farming and production precision management and unlock new markets.
The development and application of fast, sensitive and cost effective analytic systems for pathogen detection in milk along the production and supply chain will aid the industry to increase the efficiency of the process monitoring and control, with consequent reduction of overheads and good waste, find new uses in dairy farming and production management and unlock new markets.
MOLOKO technology introduces a disruptive advance in realization of high-performing low-cost in-field monitoring tools aiming at (i) changing the de-facto milk and dairy supply-chain processes and the personal and institutional approaches to food contamination detections; and in general (ii) increasing food safety, public health and security of food supply-chain
MOLOKO proposes proposes ground-breaking approaches in addressing the technological issues that limit the unrevealing of the full potentiality of biosensors in bringing the laboratory-quality analysis to on-line process monitoring and control.
The challenges associated with the development of the innovative MOLOKO opticla biosensors are:
- the increase of the overall method sensitivity and instrument miniaturization
- the increase reliability and specificity
- the feedback to the user-driven specific needs and new applications
- the definition of the effective standardization protocol from farm to fork in the diary supply chain