Analysis of Milk Using a Portable Potentiometric Electronic Tongue Based on Five Polymeric Membrane Sensors

A portable potentiometric electronic tongue (PE-tongue) was developed and applied to evaluate the quality of milk with different fat content (skimmed, semi-skimmed, and whole) and with different nutritional content (classic, calcium-enriched, lactose-free, folic acid–enriched, and enriched in sterols of vegetal origin). The system consisted of a simplified array of five sensors based on PVC membranes, coupled to a data logger. The five sensors were selected from a larger set of 20 sensors by applying the genetic algorithm (GA) to the responses to compounds usually found in milk including salts (KCl, CaCl2, and NaCl), sugars (lactose, glucose, and galactose), and organic acids (citric acid and lactic acid). Principal component analysis (PCA) and support vector machine (SVM) results indicated that the PE-tongue consisting of a five-electrode array could successfully discriminate and classify milk samples according to their nutritional content. The PE-tongue provided similar discrimination capability to that of a more complex system formed by a 20-sensor array. SVM regression models were used to predict the physicochemical parameters classically used in milk quality control (acidity, density, %proteins, %lactose, and %fat). The prediction results were excellent and similar to those obtained with a much more complex array consisting of 20 sensors. Moreover, the SVM method confirmed that spoilage of unsealed milk could be correctly identified with the simplified system and the increase in acidity could be accurately predicted. The results obtained demonstrate the possibility of using the simplified PE-tongue to predict milk quality and provide information on the chemical composition of milk using a simple and portable system.