Abstract:
Monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) is a common ingredient that is added to food to enhance its taste. However, due to
the negative perception of consumers towards MSG, most food
manufacturers do not inform customers if MSG has been added
to food. This work describes the development and validation of a
low-cost electrochemical microfluidic paper-based analytical device
(µPAD) for the rapid, on-site detection of MSG in food samples.
This device is a portable, low-cost, one-time sensor that can be used
on the field even directly without sample preparation. This would
greatly benefit groups of society such as Public Health Inspectors
and individuals who regularly consume fast food. The µPAD was
fabricated with a three-electrode system consisting of a working
electrode modified with Co3O4 nanoparticles, a pseudo reference
electrode, and a counter electrode. The device is tested using food
samples spiked with MSG 5 g/L. The test results prove that the
device can be used as a qualitative sensor to detect MSG in food
with the limit of detection 0.82 g/L
