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Device detects sugar in food — sweet!
Scientists have produced a clever little device: a small handheld sensor that indicates what type of sweetener is in either a food or drink. The researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign believe this is yet another step towards creating an artificial tongue, complete with the sense of taste.
Similar to middle-school litmus paper tests, the sensor uses color-coded dots to show what sweeteners are used in a product. Until now, a similar test took about 30 minutes, and now is accomplished in two minutes. The sensor is being presented as a quality-control device for manufacturers to tell how sweet a product is, but they also mention developing sensors for the other basic tastes, such as sour and bitterness.
As someone who keeps an eye on caloric intake and also as the sibling of a Type-1 diabetic, a more practical use is to make sure that Diet Coke that my brother or I ordered wasn't accidentally switched with a sugar-laden Coke. For one of us, it's a very serious mistake.
Via CNN
By Xanapus at 9:57 PM ON 08/20/09
I was at this Chinese restaurant in Hollywood about 10 years ago and I ordered a diet Coke with my meal. We sat down and I took a sip and discovered it was Coke. I went to the counter to complain that I ordered a diet and the girl who made it said "I didn't think you needed diet so I gave you regular".
I told her to mind her own business and give me what I ordered. She doesn't need to be making decisions for her customers.
By manishboy at 4:45 PM ON 08/21/09
What would be nice is a 'high fructose corn syrup' detector but we would all starve avoiding it! It seems that high fructose corn syrup may be worse for you than sugar! I think that there is much 'hype' and misleading information about sugar that began when Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba and is compounded by cooperate farming over the years. Will there be enough corn for fuel and sweetener? I for one prefer my corn on the cob and syrup on my pancakes!
By Alex at 3:35 AM ON 08/27/09
This would actually be insanely helpful for me - I have a severe sensitivity to artificial sugar/aspartame/their brethren and this would be a great way to make sure that what I'm eating isn't skimping on the real sugar.
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Alex:
This would actually be insanely helpful for me - I have a severe sensitivity to artificial sugar/aspartame/their b...More »