One company called Sensifi has made electronic noses that can be used right where the food is made. They give you results in less than an hour, which is a lot faster than sending samples to a lab and waiting for days. Sensifi wants to make their machines affordable and charge a subscription fee to use them.
Food poisoning is a big problem all over the world, with millions of people getting sick and thousands dying each year. Romaine lettuce has been a big issue lately. As our food gets more industrialized, it's easier for bad bacteria to get in. A German company called NTT Data Business Solutions is using coffee to teach their electronic noses. They expose the sensors to different types of coffee so the computer program can learn what fresh and good-quality coffee smells like.
Even though these electronic noses are really cool, some experts think they might be too expensive for a lot of food companies. It would cost a lot of money to set up a worldwide network of these detectors, and it might not make financial sense for many businesses. It would also be hard to make the electronic noses work perfectly in every single place. But there are entrepreneurs who aren't discouraged and have made sensors that are thousands of times more sensitive than a dog's nose. These sensors can be used for lots of things, like making sure food is good quality, diagnosing diseases, and checking the environment.
Original news source: The electronic noses designed to prevent food poisoning (BBC)
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into teams. Give each team a set of vocabulary words related to the article (e.g. bacteria, food safety, electronic nose). One student from each team will come to the front of the class and act out the word without speaking. The team members must guess the word within a certain time limit. The team with the most correct guesses wins.
– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, have the students summarize the main points of the article. They can take turns speaking or write down their summaries. Afterward, have each group share their summaries with the class and discuss any differences or similarities in their interpretations.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements related to the article (e.g. "Electronic noses are a necessary tool for food safety."). Have the students walk around the classroom and ask their classmates for their opinions on each statement. They can record their classmates' responses on a chart or worksheet. Afterward, have a class discussion and ask students to share their findings and explain their own opinions.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into teams. Give each team a set of vocabulary words from the article (e.g. salmonella, E. Coli, contaminants). One student from each team will come to the front of the class and draw a picture to represent the word. Their team members must guess the word within a certain time limit. The team with the most correct guesses wins.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Assign each group a topic related to the article (e.g. the benefits and drawbacks of using electronic noses for food safety). Have each group brainstorm and discuss the pros and cons of their assigned topic. Then, have each group share their findings with the class and engage in a class discussion to compare and contrast the different perspectives.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
Electronic noses are used to detect harmful bacteria in food and ensure its safety.
Electronic noses detect harmful bacteria in food by picking up on the special smells that each type of bacteria gives off. The information is then compared to a database to determine if the food is contaminated or not.
Sensifi's electronic noses give results in less than an hour, which is much faster than sending samples to a lab and waiting for days.
Food poisoning is a big problem around the world because as our food becomes more industrialized, it becomes easier for bad bacteria to contaminate it. This can lead to millions of people getting sick and thousands dying each year.
NTT Data Business Solutions is teaching their electronic noses to recognize good-quality coffee by exposing the sensors to different types of coffee. This allows the computer program to learn what fresh and good-quality coffee smells like.
Some experts think electronic noses might be too expensive for food companies because it would cost a lot of money to set up a worldwide network of these detectors. Additionally, it might not make financial sense for many businesses, and it could be challenging to make the electronic noses work perfectly in every single place.
The highly sensitive sensors made by entrepreneurs can be used for various purposes, such as ensuring food quality, diagnosing diseases, and monitoring the environment.
Electronic noses could be useful in everyday life for detecting gas leaks, identifying spoiled food in the fridge, and even helping people with allergies by detecting allergens in the air.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Scientists have electronic noses that can sniff out different . These high-tech sensors are really useful for food safety because they can detect harmful bacteria like and E. Coli. Each type of bacteria gives off a smell, and the electronic nose can pick up on it. It then sends the information to a computer program that compares it to a database and tells you if the food is contaminated or not. One company called Sensifi has made noses that can be used right where the food is made. They give you results in less than an hour, which is a lot faster than sending to a lab and waiting for days. Sensifi wants to make their machines affordable and charge a subscription fee to use them. Food poisoning is a big problem all over the world, with millions of getting sick and dying each year. Romaine lettuce has been a big issue lately. As our food gets more industrialized, it's for bad bacteria to get in. A German called NTT Data Solutions is using coffee to teach their electronic noses. They expose the sensors to different types of coffee so the program can learn what fresh and good-quality coffee smells like. Even though these electronic noses are really cool, some experts think they might be too expensive for a lot of food companies. It would cost a lot of money to set up a worldwide network of these detectors, and it might not make financial sense for many . It would also be hard to make the electronic noses work perfectly in every place. But there are entrepreneurs who aren't and have made sensors that are thousands of times more sensitive than a dog's nose. These sensors can be used for lots of things, like making sure food is good quality, diagnosing diseases, and checking the .
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is an electronic nose and what is it used for?
2. How do electronic noses detect harmful bacteria in food?
3. How long does it take for electronic noses to give results compared to sending samples to a lab?
4. Why do you think electronic noses can be useful in ensuring food safety?
5. Do you think electronic noses should be affordable for food companies? Why or why not?
6. How do you think electronic noses could help in preventing food poisoning?
7. Would you feel more confident eating food that has been tested by an electronic nose? Why or why not?
8. Do you like the idea of using coffee to teach electronic noses? Why or why not?
9. How do you think electronic noses could be used in diagnosing diseases?
10. Do you think it is worth the cost to set up a worldwide network of electronic nose detectors? Why or why not?
11. Why do you think it would be challenging to make electronic noses work perfectly in every single place?
12. How do you think sensors that are thousands of times more sensitive than a dog's nose could be used in checking the environment?
13. What other applications can you think of for electronic noses, besides food safety?
14. How would you feel if you found out that the food you ate was tested by an electronic nose?
15. Do you think electronic noses will become more common in the future? Why or why not?
Individual Activities
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π Write a Summary:
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