Application of terahertz spectrum in the detection of harmful food additive

Terahertz technology is a potentially useful tool for biosensing applications. Previous reports proved to be effective in detecting the signature spectrum of some molecules. In this study, which analyzes the terahertz transmission characteristics of bimolecular samples in solution, we propose a membrane device to hold a sample in solution. This device allows preparation of small sample amounts and is easier to use than current methods. We measured several harmful food additives using time-domain spectroscopy and found that, in some of them, vibrational features such as signature peaks are present not only in pellet samples but also in sample solutions. Results indicate this system is able to detect the harmful food additives and suggest the potential of the membrane device in THz-wave biosensing applications.