If only real microbiology was like CSI/True Detective/name another cop show, where UV light can magically spot dangerous bacteria.

In China, Internet search giant Baidu says “smart chopsticks” can tell consumers whether the food in front of them is safe to eat.

The latest stage of development was revealed this week, with a new video released by the company showing a user placing the electronic chopsticks in three different cups of cooking oil.

Sensors in the implements detect the oil’s temperature and its fitness for consumption, with the findings displayed on a smartphone app.

The chopsticks flash a red light when cooking oil has a higher than 25 per cent level of TPMs, or total polar materials, an indicator of freshness, the spokesman said.