Advancements in food quality monitoring: integrating biosensors for precision detection

Abstract

The integration of biosensors into food quality monitoring systems presents a promising approach to enhance food safety and quality assurance. Biosensors enable rapid, accurate, and on-site detection of contaminants, revolutionizing the management of food safety risks throughout the supply chain. This review provides insights into the current challenges, opportunities and future directions of biosensor technology in ensuring the integrity and safety of our food supply. Electrochemical, optical, and piezoelectric biosensors offer versatile platforms for food quality monitoring, each providing unique advantages in sensitivity, specificity, and detection capabilities. By harnessing these principles, biosensors offer valuable tools for detecting a wide range of contaminants, allergens and adulterants in food samples, thus improving food safety and quality assurance measures. However, biosensor implementation faces challenges such as sensitivity and specificity issues, matrix interference, and shelf-life concerns. Overcoming these challenges requires research and development efforts to improve biosensor design, optimization, and performance. Recent advances in biosensor technology, including nanotechnology integration, multiplexed detection and smartphone-based biosensors, offer exciting opportunities to improve and enhance food quality monitoring. Future perspectives include the development of improved sensing technologies, standardization, regulatory considerations, and integration with the Internet of Things (IoT) for real-time monitoring, paving the way for the revolutionization of food safety practices throughout the global food supply chain.