Portable molecularly imprinted polymer-based platform for detection of histamine in aqueous solutions

Highlights: • Simple and disposable sensors were developed for affordable, on-site detection of histamine in seafood. • MIP receptors endow histamine sensors with selectivity over other biogenic amines found in seafood. • A portable electronics module with accompanying mobile phone app was developed to test for histamine in seafood on-site. • Full-device capability is showcased using real seafood purchased from local supermarket to test for histamine content. Histamine, which is a naturally occurring chemical in seafood, is known to cause undesirable inflammatory response when consumed in large amounts. Histamine is produced in unsafe amounts in colored seafood when improperly stored for just a few hours. Food and health regulatory bodies across the world have guidelines limiting the amount of histamine in fresh as well as processed seafood. Conventional histamine detection is performed in testing labs, which is a slow process and results in bottlenecks in the seafood supply-chain system. A system to rapidly detect the seafood histamine levels on site is very desirable for seafood suppliers. Herein, we describe an impedance-based histamine detection sensor built on a flexible substrate that can detect histamine in the range of 100–500 ppm. Moreover, our sensor discriminates histamine in the presence of DL-histidine and other biogenic amines, with the selectivity provided by molecular imprinting technology. As a proof of concept, a smartphone controlled, portable semi-quantitative histamine sensing device was fabricated that gave out reliable testing results for histamine in different test solutions as well as for real seafood. We believe this technology can be extended towards determination of other food contaminants in aqueous solutions.