Colorimetric sensor array for soft drink analysis

Fourteen commercial soft drinks have been analyzed using colorimetric sensor arrays made from a set of 25 chemically responsive dyes printed on a hydrophobic membrane. Digital imaging of the dye array before and after immersion provides a color change profile as a unique fingerprint for each specific analyte. The digital data library generated was analyzed with statistical and chemometric methods, including principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). Facile identification of all of the soft drinks was readily achieved using comparison of the color change profiles or a PCA score plot. Using a HCA dendrogram, the misclassification rate was < 2%, and even very similar sodas were easily differentiated. In addition, the monitoring of soft drinks as they degas or upon dilution also proved to be possible. This work demonstrates the potential of our colorimetric sensor array technology for quality assurance/control applications of sodas and perhaps other beverages as well.