For tracking the spoilage of fish or poultry, which specific VOC might a sensor be tuned for?
Answer
Ammonia
The text specifies that chemical fingerprints of spoilage are unique based on the organism and the food substrate. For monitoring fish or poultry spoilage, sensors are often tuned specifically for high concentrations of ammonia. This is because nitrogenous bases, which break down into ammonia, accumulate rapidly in these types of protein-rich foods during the initial stages of decay, making ammonia a highly relevant marker for these specific substrates.

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