Hardware Engineering of Hazardous Gas and Alcoholic Substances Detector in Meat Using Microcontroller and Gas Sensor

Meat may provide not only essential nutritional content but also possible harmful effects on human bodies. Unsafe consumption of meat potentially triggers colorectal cancer risks. Grilling is the most popular way to consume meat. However, meat grilling triggers the formation of hazardous chemical substances such as poisonous Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). This study conducted experiments using hardware engineering with microcontrollers and different gas sensors, aiming to identify gas substances produced by meat during grilling. The hardware prototype for the test simulation tool was assembled with integrated block systems and circuits. Evaluations were conducted on the direct grilling of three different types of meat. The data results were then utilized to analyze gas substances produced by meat during direct grilling. Based on the results, only five of the seven MQ-type gas sensors used in the research reacted to gas substances produced by all types of meat: LPG, alcohol, carbon monoxide, methane, and carbon dioxide, which were successfully detected in meat during grilling. Our research contributes to discovering a potential prevalence of increased alcoholic content in meat that has been grilled for five minutes. This finding is especially crucial for Muslims since it is highly correlated with halal certification of meat consumption. According to the results, Muslims should wait at least seven minutes or more after direct grilling to let the alcoholic content in meat thoroughly decrease so that it can be safely certified as halal to be consumed according to Islamic laws. Doi: 10.28991/HIJ-2023-04-03-01 Full Text: PDF