Spice's explosive qualities

American researchers have found a common spice could be the key to tracking explosives.

Turmeric is best known for giving curries a bright colour and tasty flavour but now scientists say it has a molecule which could replace more complex solutions to detect TNT and landmines.

The curcumin molecule - which is already used in medicine because it has anti-cancer and anti-oxidant values - changes its light-emitting properties as it detects explosive materials in the air.

Abhishek Kumar of the University of Massachusetts said: "People have mainly looked at its biological applications, treating cancer and Alzheimer's and so on, but nobody has looked at making optical devices out of them.

"And, the US State Department estimates there are about 60 to 70 million land mines throughout the world; we need a very portable, field-deployable sensing device which is cheap, very sensitive, and easy to handle."