Purpose - The purpose of this paper was to develop a chemo-resistive sensor based on TiO2-WO3 composite material to detect and estimate ethylene released from the fruit ripening process to ensure food safety. Design/methodology/approach - The ethylene sensor has been fabricated using TiO2-WO3 composite material through the sol-gel method. Findings - The sensitivity of the sensor obtained using the pre-calibrated ethylene is found to be 46.2 per cent at 200 ppm ethylene concentration, and the proposed sensor could measure 8 ppm as the lowest concentration. Originality/value - The sensor was tested for continuous ethylene detection during natural ripening of fruits and hence is useful for ensuring food safety through discrimination of the type of fruit ripening. A TiO2-WO3 composite ethylene sensor is developed for the first time. © Emerald Publishing Limited.