Evaluating Pork and Lamb Spoilage Using a Portable e-Nose

Reliable and rapid assessment of meat freshness is essential for food safety and waste reduction throughout the supply chain. This study evaluates a handheld volatile‑sensing device based on a piezoelectrically driven microcantilever functionalized with a biogenic‑amine–selective binder for monitoring spoilage progression in pork cutlets and lamb fillet during refrigerated storage. Pork and lamb samples were assessed from days 1-6 using four complementary indicators: (i) handheld sensor output, (ii) total viable counts (TVC), (iii) sensory evaluation, and (iv) cadaverine concentration. In pork, TVC increased from early-stage levels to approximately 106 CFU/g by day 4 (the safety threshold), accompanied by a marked rise in volatile amines. The handheld sensor detected increasing VOC concentrations, with signals correlating strongly with log₁₀(TVC). In contrast, lamb fillet generated extremely low cadaverine levels throughout storage, insufficient to trigger a measurable sensor response despite microbial proliferation. These findings confirm that microcantilever‑based sensing is well suited for pork freshness evaluation but reveals matrix‑dependent limitations for lamb due to low headspace amine release.