The design and experimental setup of a smart cap are presented. It is capable of sniffing the vapors of extra virgin olive
oil, thus alerting the consumer or the retailer of any rancid flavor. The cap is made of an array of metalloporphyrin-based
optochemical sensors, the colors of which are modulated by the concentration of aldehydes, the main responsible for
rancid off-flavors. A micro-optic device, implemented to simulate a cap prototype, is presented. The spectral response of
the chromophore-array is processed by means of multivariate data analysis so as to achieve an artificial olfactory
perception of oil aroma and, consequently, an indication of oil ageing and rancidity. In practice, the cap prototype proved
to be a device for non-destructive testing of bottled oil quality.
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