Chapter 4 - Electrochemical biosensors for the detection of foodborne pathogens

Abstract

Today, the increasing demand for food products due to the increase in the human population causes many foodborne diseases. The cause of these diseases is foodborne pathogens that seriously affect the production, supply, and consumption processes of food. So, the detection of these pathogens that threaten human health is one of the most important problems all around the world. Among all the analytical methods and biological-based methods applied for detecting foodborne pathogens, electrochemical biosensors are a fast, reliable, and sensitive detection method. Using special strategies, such as preparing new platforms with various nanomaterials, target-specific bio-recognition agents, and molecular imprinting technologies, they are developing in parallel with technological developments and becoming a powerful alternative for foodborne pathogen detection. New strategies in electrochemical biosensors allow the development of devices that can be miniaturized, portable, and suitable for chip technology. It is predicted that the quick identification of foodborne pathogens using electrochemical biosensors in processes such as food production, supply, and quality control will make further progress day by day. In this chapter, brief information about food pathogens, electrochemical methods, and biosensors is discussed. The outlines of current developments in electrochemical biosensors for the determination of food pathogens are summarized and tabulated through the last 3 years of studies. Moreover, future perspectives on foodborne pathogen analysis by electrochemical methods are discussed.