Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Enables Recognition and Classification of Multidimensional Foodborne Volatile Organic Compounds: A Review

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has gained considerable attention for the analysis of foodborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs) due to its non-destructive, rapid, and ultrasensitive detection capabilities. However, the intrinsic properties of most VOCs, such as high volatility, low polarity, and low Raman scattering cross-sections, result in poor affinity toward metallic nanostructures and consequently low signal intensity, which hampers their direct detection via SERS. To overcome these challenges, various strategies have been developed to enhance the adsorption efficiency and signal response of VOCs on SERS substrates, thereby enabling the sensitive detection of Raman-inactive molecules. This critical review offers a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in SERS techniques for the detection of foodborne VOCs. A range of popular strategies and their underlying principles to improve the VOC sensing capability of SERS platforms are discussed, including acquisition of SERS signal, enhancement of adsorption efficiency, and improvement of detection efficiency. Furthermore, the review critically examines the primary applications of SERS in the capture and sensing of various foodborne VOCs. Finally, the challenges and future prospects for the further development of SERS-based foodborne VOC analysis are outlined and summarized. The integration of SERS with a variety of strategies is expected to play a pivotal role in the evaluation of food quality and safety, driving the advancement of intelligent spectroscopic monitoring technologies in the future.