NEWBURY PARK, Calif.–Electronic Sensor Technology (EST) (OTCBB:ESNR), a leading provider of innovative homeland security and environmental solutions, announced it has developed a procedure for detecting melamine in milk powder using the fast zNose®.

Dr. Teong Lim, Chairman and CEO, reports that a method for detecting and measuring melamine without the need to derivatize or modify the sample has been created. Current cost per sample range around $120 in the US to $145 in China. The FDA method (Bulletin No. 4423) requires 85 minutes of preparation before the 20 minute GC-MS run. Even the fast-screen method (LC/MS) takes 14.5 minutes after sample preparation. EST’s method does not require this preparation time and can do a sample run in less than 3 minutes. This significant savings in time will reduce sample testing costs by using the zNose® as a prescreening tool. Only samples that indicate melamine are subjected to the costly testing methods.

The presence of melamine in milk powder has been linked to over 53,000 infant illnesses and 4 infant deaths as well as pet food problems and egg contamination. The use of melamine to cheat the nutrition tests has been a practice in many areas and there is no way to contain the contamination without the use of detection tests. Reducing the time and costs of the test with the use of the zNose® could help save infants from illness and more.