Recent advances in microbial whole-cell biosensors for detecting food contaminants : a review

Summary

Food safety always remains a global concern. Common contaminants in food, such as foodborne pathogens, heavy metals, mycotoxins, pesticides, and antibiotics, can pose serious threats to human health. Efficient detection techniques for food contamination are crucial for maintaining food safety and preventing health risks. Microbial Whole-Cell Biosensors (MWCBs) have been taken as one of the primary choices for this purpose due to their exceptional specificity and sensitivity, rapid response times, low cost and easy operation. This review outlines the key components, basic working principles, and types of MWCBs, with a focus on applications reported in the past five years for the detection of food contaminants, as well as the challenges and future prospects of their use in food safety.