State-of-the-art of convenient and low-cost electrochemical sensor for food contamination detection: Technical and analytical overview

Food safety issue is becoming as an international concern for human health around the world. Common substances in food can pose a significant threat to human health containing but not restricted to antibiotics resides, veterinary drugs, pesticides, mycotoxins, heavy metals, food borne-pathogens, illegal additives and allergens. A series of analytical methods were engaged for monitoring of food safety but imparts either practical limitations or analytical defects. Therefore, emerging of alternative methods like portable nanoprobes is of great importance. Over the last few years, sensor platforms have since been shifted towards wearable devices and being portable. Theses probes are movable, accessible, and tiny diagnostic devices which offer in-site analysis of biological contaminants in foods to guarantee their quality and safety. Among different types of portable sensors, low-cost, and flexible sensors as a novel development of portable consumer electronics are a great revolution in living sensors that can be exploited extensively in our daily lives. In this review, recent progress of lab-on-a-glove, leaf, and disc as groundbreaking electrochemical probes for food safety sensing will be discussed, importantly in the aspect of diverse contaminants encountered in food samples.

Automated summary

Food safety is an international concern, and the use of portable sensors is of great importance. Low-cost and flexible portable sensors can analyze biological contaminants in food, ensuring its quality and safety.