Indonesian Scientists Create Rapid Test Kit to Identify Pork Oil in Meals
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- Researchers at ITS have created a low-cost strip test that detects pork oil in food through a visible color change, offering a practical halal verification tool.
- Using nanotechnology, the ITS-developed device allows quick and simple identification of lard without the need for laboratory testing.
- The innovation is expected to expand into detecting allergens and could become widely accessible with affordable pricing.
Jakarta — Concerns over halal food consumption remain a significant issue for Muslims, particularly when traveling abroad where ingredient transparency can be limited.
Addressing this challenge, a team of researchers from Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) has developed an innovative strip test kit designed to detect the presence of pork oil in food products. The research is led by Dr. rer. nat. Ruri Agung Wahyuono, alongside colleagues from the ITS Halal Research Center, including Prof. Agus Muhamad Hatta.
The device is designed to function similarly to a pH test strip, offering a simple and practical alternative to complex laboratory testing. It operates using nanomaterial-based technology that triggers a visible color change when it reacts with specific compounds found in pork oil.
According to Wahyuono, the team conducted extensive experiments to formulate reagents that are highly sensitive to pork-derived substances. The innovation relies on an optical detection method, where chemical reactions produce a distinct color shift indicating the presence of targeted oils.
“A color change occurs in the reagent when it chemically reacts with the oil content being tested,” Wahyuono explained, as quoted from the ITS official website on Wednesday.
The research team aims to further expand the capabilities of the strip beyond detecting pork oil. Future developments are expected to enable the detection of various allergenic substances using a similar colorimetric approach, with adjustments made to reagent formulations and catalysts.
“Beyond halal verification, we are also working toward detecting other allergen triggers using the same method, though each will require different chemical formulations,” said Wahyuono, who is also a lecturer at the ITS Department of Engineering Physics.
The team is committed to achieving full independence in producing both the materials and the detection devices. Once commercially available, the strip test is expected to retail at around Rp10,000 per unit, with potential for lower prices if mass production is achieved.
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