Food products often face the risk of spoilage during processing, storage, and transportation, necessitating the use of rapid and effective technologies for quality assessment. In recent years, gas sensors have gained prominence for their ability to swiftly and sensitively detect gases, making them valuable tools for food quality evaluation. The various gas sensor types, such as metal oxide (MOX), metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) gas sensors, surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors, colorimetric sensors, and electrochemical sensors, each offer distinct advantages. They hold significant potential for practical applications in food quality monitoring. This review comprehensively covers the progress in gas sensor technology for food quality assessment, outlining their advantages, features, and principles. It also summarizes their applications in detecting volatile gases during the deterioration of aquatic products, meat products, fruit, and vegetables over the past decade. Furthermore, the integration of data analytics and artificial intelligence into gas sensor arrays is discussed, enhancing their adaptability and reliability in diverse food environments and improving food quality assessment efficiency. In conclusion, this paper addresses the multifaceted challenges faced by rapid gas sensor-based food quality detection technologies and suggests potential interdisciplinary solutions and directions.
Keywords: VOCs; freshness prediction; gas sensor; gas sensor arrays; quality monitoring.