Green synthesized silver nanoparticles and their use in optical detection of deterioration in onions

Abstract Food security is a global issue and crucial for attainment of sustainable development goals. Malnutrition may occur due to food wastes. Prior to the food spoilage, deterioration occurs which depletes nutrients in the prepared food material. In order to minimize consumption of deteriorated food, visual detection of stored food need to be developed. In this work, green silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized from plant (Elaeis guineensis) and characterized. A solution of AgNPs was exposed to volatile metabolites released from onions during deterioration, and the AgNPs were used as an optical sensor for the detection of optical properties. The optical detection was monitored for a period of time. In this chapter, an affordable method for the detection of deterioration in onions has been developed using the AgNPs.