Dr. Chun-Hsun Chu, General Director of ITRI’s Smart Microsystems Technology Center, remarked that ITRI introduced the world's first portable agricultural pesticide detector that employs patented "micro pesticide detection technology for food analysis."

Researchers applied optical detection methods common in biomedical research for use in food detection, thereby revealing the unique wavelength absorption pattern of chemical products, which is tantamount to an identity card. This provides a foolproof spectral analysis of agricultural pesticides.

The device also features Bluetooth and a wireless charger, which help the user to determine in a matter of seconds whether the amount of pesticides is within a safe range, with the lights on the wireless charger indicating the results. A red light signifies pesticide levels have seriously exceeded standards and that the fruit or vegetables should be washed vigorously before consumption. A yellow light represents an excess amount of pesticides and further washing of the product is required. A green light, on the other hand, indicates either little or no pesticide residues and that the item is safe to consume.

ITRI's Handheld Pesticide Detector already addresses eight of the ten most widely used water-soluble pesticides in Taiwan. If used in tandem with specialized fruit and vegetable cleansers, the detector can also be used to detect fat-soluble pesticides up to 0.5 ppm detection limit and indicates when cleansing is complete.

Dr. Jing-Yuan Lin, the head of the R&D division of the Smart Microsystems Technology Center, stated that many companies have contacted ITRI about the transfer of technology used to the product. As pesticide use varies among countries, the detector in the future will feature settings that offer data on different commonly used pesticides, thereby enabling the device to be tailored to the specific needs of various markets.

ITRI's patented microchip technology has miniaturized an optical detector and turned it into a modern aesthetic handheld device. The one-touch button design of the recharger makes it user-friendly for all ages in the household.