18 - New trends in the food industry: application of nanosensors in food packaging

Abstract

The incorporation of nanosensors into food packaging has resulted in various advantages over conventional sensors such as improved sensitivity and specificity, speed of analysis, increased sample throughput (multiplex systems), reduced assay complexity, and reduced cost. In this chapter, the discussions are focused on design, application, and constituents of three main types of nanosensors: radio frequency identification, sensing gas, and nanobiosensors. A variety of nanosensor designs for the same analyte may be found, which typically provide different levels of sensitivity and specificity. The main challenges (eg, complexity of food matrices) that make the commercialization of these devices difficult are also presented. In addition to the development of novel materials to be included in nanosensors, different materials presenting well-known chemical and physical properties may be combined to optimize the operation of these devices and overcome some of their limitations.