Gizmos & Gadgets: PERES Tells You if the Meat You are About to Eat is OK

May 21, 2014 – In the Northern Hemisphere it is barbecue season and the main dinner fare is meat bought from local grocers. I don’t know about you but I often wonder about those packages of meat that get left sitting at the checkout counter when a customer decides not to buy. How long do they sit out before getting back into the store refrigerator? How often when they are bought do they contribute to a good case of food poisoning? It has never happened to my family because when in doubt we always throw the meat out. But sometimes you cannot tell just by the smell or look of your planned dinner.

That’s where PERES comes in. It is a portable, electronic nose that looks like a small wand. It sniffs your raw meat and tells you if the product is fresh or hazardous to your health.

How does it work? PERES is both a wand and a software application. When the wand detects gases and compounds emitted by meat during decomposition it sends the readings to your smartphone or tablet. Four sensors in the wand measure temperature, humidity, ammonia and volatile organic compounds. Simply wave it over the food and watch it analyze your next meal sending the information over Bluetooth to the application display.

The company is raising money and its profile on Indiegogo where you can watch video demonstrations and learn more about PERES.  They have already exceeded their $50,000 U.S. pledge target. But you can still contribute and get a PERES as an early bird for $120 U.S. plus $15 for shipping outside the European Union and the United States.  Suggested retail will be $150 U.S.

So when it comes to meat, the nose may not know what PERES knows.