Field Of Food Safety Research Articles

Self-driven photoelectrochemical sensor based on Z-type perovskite heterojunction for profenofos detection in milk and cabbage

With growing public concern about the accumulation of pesticide residues in food and their potential impacts on health and the environment, the demand for advanced detection technologies has become more critical. To address this need, we have developed an innovative self-driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor, utilizing a Z-type heterojunction structure. This sensor exploited the synergistic interactions between the carbonyl groups in polyvinylpyrrolidone and the Pb2+ ions in the perovskite, and was further enhanced by the strong hydrogen bonds formed between polyethylene glycol and MA+. To optimize the sensor's performance, we incorporated perylene tetracarboxylic acid, which enhanced interface adhesion and promotes charge separation, elements crucial for the visible light-driven PEC process. This strategic design resulted in a sensor with high sensitivity and stability, which was capable of detecting profenofos residues in complex food matrices such as milk and cabbage. The sensor demonstrated a linear detection range from 0.1 to 107ngL-1 and an exceptional detection limit of 0.033ngL-1. When applied to real samples, the sensor achieved recovery rates ranging from 96.68% to 107.2%, with relative standard deviations between 1.08% and 4.54%. In light of these results, the sensor not only showed high efficiency in real-time monitoring of pesticide contamination, but also highlights its significant potential for broader application in the field of food safety.

Broadband surface enhanced infrared absorption with multiple Fano resonance by metallic oblique-wire-bundle metamaterial absorbers

Higher sensitivity with specific recognition of a sensor could ease the burden of sample purification or labelling procedure for specific testing and detection and there appear two methods including surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), promising better sensitivity and specificity, simultaneously, via detection of molecular footprints. Furthermore, researchers employ Fano resonance to further boost the detection limit of SEIRA by coupling between two absorption bands from molecules and metamaterials. Still, the current metamaterial absorbers are almost narrow band and require a specific design, only suitable for limited chemicals. Thus, in this work, we would like to design a broadband oblique-wire-bundle (OWB) metamaterial absorber (MA) which could interact with multiple functional groups’ absorption from a sample, thus easing the burden of custom-made resonators. In experiments, indeed, our designed OWB MA developed four Fano resonance responses with three PMMAs’ functional groups and one function group from carbon dioxide. The counterpart planar MA also performed SEIRA yet without occurrence of Fano resonance as a comparison. We believe this proposed OWB MA could facilitate the development of rapid detection in the field of food safety and chemical detection.

A highly sensitive SERS aptasensor using a novel truncated aptamer for the detection of Deoxynivalenol

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a common mycotoxin in nature, which is not only widely distributed, but also can cause human and animal poisoning, posing a serious threat to food safety and social economy. Therefore, it is very important to develop a sensitive and stable method to detect DON. In this research, the optimal aptamer D40 was obtained by molecular docking prediction and truncation based on molecular docking results. Then, we labeled the Cy3 Raman reporter molecule with D40, as a capture probe for the aptasensor. Finally, the porous π-rich structure Cu@C derived from the thermal decomposition of CuBTC is combined with AuNPs to generate abundant hot spots, and the Cy3-aptamers are adsorbed to the composite by the π-π to produce sharp and significant Raman signals. In the presence of DON, Cy3-aptamers bind to DON specifically and dissociate from the composite material, and the Raman signal decreases. The prepared SERS aptasensor was capable of detecting DON in a wide range from 0.01 to 10,000 ng/mL with a detection limit of 4.56 pg/mL, and the recovery rate of 94.42–107.04 % was obtained in two real samples, which indicated that the aptasensor proposed in this study exhibited outstanding practical performance and had potential application value in the field of food safety.

Coral-like AgNPs hybrided MOFs modulated with biopolymer polydopamine for synergistic antibacterial and biofilm eradication

Bacterial contamination is an intractable challenge in food safety, environments and biomedicine fields, and places a heavy burden on society. Polydopamine (PDA), a high molecular biopolymer, is considered as a promising candidate to participate in the design of novel antibacterial agents with unique contributions in biocompatibility, adherence, photothermal and metal coordination ability. In this study, coral-like ZIFL-PDA@AgNPs with excellent antibacterial properties and biocompatibility were prepared by embedding AgNPs into the biopolymer PDA-modulated ZIFL-PDA nanostructures by green reduction method to solve the problem with poor stability of AgNPs. Based on the plasma resonance effect of AgNPs, coral-like ZIFL-PDA@AgNPs had enhanced photothermal properties compared with ZIFL-PDA. Due to the synergistic effect between antibacterial metal ions mainly Ag+ and the photothermal effect, coral-like ZIFL-PDA@AgNPs showed enhanced anti-mature biofilm and antibacterial properties, which was dependent on its concentration and sterilization time. In addition, regulated by the ZIFL-PDA nanostructure, coral-like ZIFL-PDA@AgNPs demonstrated a unique Ag+ long-time sustained release behavior, giving it an extended antibacterial validity period and good biocompatibility. Antibacterial mechanism experiments indicated that coral-like ZIFL-PDA@AgNPs can significantly damage the integrity of bacterial cell membrane, reduce the content of ATP in bacterial by affecting the activity of succinate dehydrogenase, and induce the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, ultimately leading to bacterial death.

Development of a rapid magnetic relaxation switching aptasensor for detection of saxitoxin using Fe3+/silver nanoparticles reaction system

Saxitoxin (STX) is a highly toxic marine bio-toxin, which has attracted great attention in the field of environmental and food safety. It is of crucial importance to develop efficient, sensitive and cost-effective methods for detecting STX. Here, we designed a magnetic relaxation switching (MRS) aptasensor for detection of STX based on FeCl3-regulated the aptamer-functionalized silver nanoparticles-coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNP@Ag NPs). In the light of the sensing effect of transverse relaxation time (T2) for optimizing, the etched time, the concentration of MNP@Ag NPs, the concentration of aptamers and incubation time were 15 min, 4 mg mL−1, 0.4 μM and 90 min, respectively. The MRS aptasensor showed good linearity amidst the sensing range of 0.2 μM to 1.0 μM and the limit of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) of 0.18 μM. Additionally, the MRS aptasensor demonstrated excellent sensitivity, reproducibility, and stability in clams and mantis shrimps. The recovery of STX ranged from 82.6 % to 101.5 % with low relative standard deviation (RSD) values, suggesting its effectiveness for detecting STX across a wide array of seafood samples.

Rigidifying aggregation-induced emission luminogens by metal–organic framework formation for sensitive lateral flow immunoassay

T-2 toxin, the strongest toxic of type A trichothecenes, widely exists in barley, wheat, corn, oats, and even human food, which is urgent to establish a rapid and sensitive detection method for T-2 toxin. Herein, we developed a fluorescent lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) for sensitive detection of T-2 toxin. Specially, the monoclonal antibody (mAb) was prepared by immunizing mice and cell fusion, and exhibited a low half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.482 ng mL−1. In addition, an aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-based metal-organic framework (HfMOFs) with excellent fluorescence performance (QY: 72.5 %) was developed as reporter. Benefiting from these advantages, the limit of detection (LoD) of HfMOFs-LFIA was 0.0487 ng mL−1, which was 7.7-fold lower than traditional nanoparticles-based LFIA (0.375 ng mL−1). In addition, HfMOFs-LFIA was used for the detection of T-2 toxin in actual samples and showed satisfactory recoveries (71.3 %–123.7 %) with coefficient of variation (2.96 %–14.07 %). Overall, the dual-improvement in mAb and label might power the development in LFIA, achieving innovative prospects for LFIA in food safety fields.

Roles of ESIPT and TICT in the Photophysical Process of a Ratiometric Fluorescence Sensor for Al3.

Precise detection of Al3+ with the aid of a fluorescence sensor is of fundamental importance in the fields of water pollution control and food safety. A comprehensive understanding of the photophysical process of the sensor as well as its underlying detection mechanism is a precondition for the design of highly efficient sensors. This contribution performs a thorough investigation of the ratiometric fluorescence sensing mechanism of an Al3+ sensor with the aid of density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory. Two excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) processes are observed on the S1 state potential energy surface, which leads to emission around 565 nm. A twisted intramolecular charge transfer state is observed after one of the ESIPT processes via cis-trans isomerization of the C═N bond. However, the large energy barrier hinders its occurrence, which is quite unusual. Al3+ is found to form three strong coordination bonds with the sensor, which eliminates ESIPT processes and induces a significant blue shift of the emission spectrum to 480 nm. The origination of the sensor's selectivity is also uncovered by investigating the interaction between the sensor and interfering metal ions.

Synthesis of novel silica-encapsulated core-satellite nanotags for enhanced SERS detection

Developing a SERS nanotag with high signal intensity, excellent signal stability, and biocompatibility is of significant importance in the fields of food safety, drug testing, and virus detection. In this work, silica-encapsulated, indocyanine green (ICG)-modified Au octahedral core-small Au spherical nanoparticles (NPs) satellite nanostructures (Au/Au@ICG@SiO2) are uniformly synthesized as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) tags, which provide abundant “hot spots” and also increase the stability of Raman reporter molecule ICG to greatly facilitate subsequent functionalization and detection. Both experimental and numerical results demonstrate that this Au/Au@ICG nanostructure achieve a detection limit of 10⁻⁷ M for ICG in aqueous solution ascribed to the increased number of hot spots compared with Au octahedral NPs. As-prepared Au/Au@ICG@SiO2 SERS nanotags are further integrated with a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) for the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein. Compared to the traditional bio-recognition method on LFIA strips with the detection limit of 8 pg/mL, the detection capability for the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein is improved approximately 16 times (500 fg/mL) based on this novel SERS tag and custom-built adaptive Raman mapping spectrometer. This Au/Au@ICG@SiO2 SERS tag is expected to play a significant role in early detection, prevention, and control of similar infectious viruses in the future.

Overview of the Design and Application of Dual-Signal Immunoassays

Immunoassays have been widely used for the determination of various analytes in the fields of disease diagnosis, food safety, and environmental monitoring. Dual-signal immunoassays are now advanced and integrated detection technologies with excellent self-correction and self-validation capabilities. In this work, we summarize the recent advances in the development of optical and electrochemical dual-signal immunoassays, including colorimetric, fluorescence, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), electrochemical, electrochemiluminescence, and photoelectrochemical methods. This review particularly emphasizes the working principle of diverse dual-signal immunoassays and the utilization of dual-functional molecules and nanomaterials. It also outlines the challenges and prospects of future research on dual-signal immunoassays.

Rational Design of Triboelectric Materials and Devices for Self‐Powered Food Sensing

AbstractAgainst the backdrop of rapid advancements in 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, there is an urgent need to upgrade food sensing systems to achieve automation, digitalization, and intelligence. However, this transformation process faces numerous challenges. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), as an emerging energy conversion and sensing technology, play a crucial role in this context. They not only provide power to functional devices but also serve as sensors in multifunctional self‐powered food sensing systems, capable of detecting various physical and chemical information. This review explores the development of TENGs in the field of food sensing, focusing on the working principles of their self‐powered sensing. The review also systematically organizes and classifies the material and device designs used for TENGs in various food applications. Based on the performance of TENGs, a detailed introduction is provided on the specific applications of self‐powered food sterilization, self‐powered food quality monitoring, and self‐powered taste sensing in the field of food safety. Finally, this paper discusses the challenges and corresponding strategies of TENGs in the food sensing field. The aim is to further promote unmanned and smart services and management in the food sector and to provide new research perspectives.

Zearalenone degradation by peptide-based enzyme mimics attached membrane reactor: Performance and mechanism

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a nonsteroidal estrogenic mycotoxin with widespread contamination. Inspired by lactone hydrolases, a peptide-based enzyme mimetic material for degrading ZEN was developed by combining serine, histidine and glutamate (S/H/E) catalytic triad with pro-hydrophobic self-assembling sequences and oxyanion hole site. Chitosan hybrid membranes were prepared, followed by immobilizing enzyme mimic on the membrane surface to fabricate biocatalytic membrane reactor. The membrane reactor, with good thermal stability and high catalytic activity after repeated use, can be applied to the degradation of ZEN in food. Computer simulation studies of the degradation mechanism indicated that the carbon atom on the lactone bond within ZEN molecule was susceptible to catalytic triplex attack, leading to lactone bond broken, followed by spontaneous decarboxylation to produce dihydroxyphenyl derivatives with greatly reduced binding capacity to the estrogen receptors. This kind of peptide-based enzyme mimetic material would be very promising in degrading mycotoxins in food safety field.

Virtual Social Labs – Requirements and Challenges for Effective Team Collaboration

In response to the challenges posed by the complex field of food safety, the FOODSAFETY4EU project established four social labs conducting multi-actor co-creation processes. These labs served as platforms for developing and piloting innovative ideas aimed at addressing these challenges. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the lab process, typically held in-person, had to be converted to the virtual space. This means that all workshops, meetings, and collaboration processes and pilot activities solely took place online. This resulted in the novel situation of teams collaborating virtually throughout the entire social lab processes. Virtual collaborations were already on the rise before the pandemic, evidenced by an increase in virtual meetings and workshops. This study examines the requirements and challenges for effective team collaboration in virtual social lab processes. It investigates virtual collaboration, team dynamics, and the use of online tools. Findings reveal advantages such as increased participation, but also drawbacks including technical issues and role accountability. Despite challenges, all four virtual social labs finally succeeded in engaging diverse stakeholders and achieving significant outcomes addressing food safety challenges.

Double-formant PCF-SPR refractive index sensor with ultra-high double-peak-shift sensitivity and a wide detection range

A dual-resonance-peak photonic crystal fiber–surface plasmon resonance (PCF-SPR) refractive index (RI) sensor is designed for different wavelength ranges. The first resonance peak of the sensor is distributed in the wavelength range of 700–2350 nm, while the second peak is distributed in the range of 2350–5550 nm. In addition to detecting analytes using the full spectrum of constraint losses (CLs), it is also possible to use a single resonance peak to achieve the detection of analytes. By systematically optimizing the nanowire diameter, the diameter of the inner and outer layer air hole, the width of the groove, the polishing depth, and the distance from the outer layer air hole to the fiber core, the optimal structure of the sensor is finally determined. In this study, the sensor was studied by numerical analysis, and the characteristics of the sensor were evaluated by wavelength detection technology. The results show that within the RI range of 1.24–1.37, the sensor has a maximum wavelength sensitivity (WS) of 54700 nm/RIU for detecting the RI of analytes. Within the above refractive index range, the regression coefficient R2 of the dual-peak-resonance wavelength is 0.99993, ensuring the accuracy of the estimated resonance wavelength of the sensor. In addition, the sensor can also use dual-peak-shift sensitivity (DPSS) to detect the refractive index, which is a relatively new sensing technology. The maximum DPSS of the sensor is 95300 nm/RIU. Due to its high sensitivity and unique dual-peak characteristics, this sensor has wide application prospects in medical diagnosis, environmental monitoring, food safety, and other fields.

Design and optimization of a colorimetric biosensor using functionalized gold nanoparticles and bi-functional linker for agriculture and food industry

This study aims to develop a highly sensitive colorimetric detection system utilizing functionalized gold nanoparticles (f-AuNPs) and bifunctional linkers (BLs) for the detection of pathogens and contaminants in food matrices. The primary objective was to explore and optimize key parameters, including reaction time, system volume and the concentration of bifunctional linkers, in order to enhance the system’s detection capabilities. The core mechanism of the bi-functional linker-based detection system is based on the aggregation of streptavidin-functionalized AuNPs (stAuNPs), which varies in accordance with the concentration of the bifunctional linkers (BLs) and reflects the quantity of effective linkers (EALs) available in the system. The process comprises the binding of the targets and BLs, a reduction in EAL concentration, an increase in the BLs concentration required for the aggregation of the stAuNPs, and a shift in the range exhibiting a visible color change (REVC). In systems without a target, all BLs induce aggregation. In contrast, in systems with a target present, some BLs are bound by the target, reducing EAL concentration and altering the optimal BLs concentration for stAuNP aggregation. The system was shown to be capable of detecting protein in PBS at concentrations as low as 2 nM, as well as Salmonella at 101 CFU/mL. In whole milk, the detection limits were 20 nM for protein and 102 CFU/mL for Salmonella. The principal conclusion is that the BLs-based system provides a robust and adaptable platform for pathogen detection, even in complex food matrices, obviating the need for preprocessing. The findings demonstrate the system’s potential for practical applications in the fields of food safety and agricultural contaminant detection, offering clear visual signals and high sensitivity.

Three-mode ratiometric biosensor based on integrated DNA-driven magnetic beads for Clostridium perfringens detection

A three-mode biosensor incorporated ratiometric (electrochemical/colorimetric, electrochemical/photothermal) into its design was constructed using DNA-driven magnetic beads (DMBs) as a bridge to detect C. perfringens. It further enhances the accuracy of detection results while maintaining compatibility with applications in multiple scenarios. Briefly, the G-quadruplex was combined with aptamer and immobilized onto magnetic beads through amide-bond, resulting in the integration of DMBs. The DMBs and supernatant were separated by magnetic separation when the target was present. Subsequently, the DMBs were utilized to construct the electrochemical biosensor, whereas the supernatant was used to construct colorimetric and photothermal biosensors. The limits of detection the ratiometric biosensor were ultimately reduced to 0.26 and 0.27 lg CFU g−1, respectively, in comparison to the single three-mode biosensor. Moreover, this biosensor had been applied in real-sample assays successfully. The establishment of this platform provides a new method for detecting pathogens in the fields of food safety and environmental monitoring.

Terahertz Spectroscopy in the Field of Food Safety: A Review

with the continuous improvement of people's living standards, food quality and safety problem has caused the wide attention of the whole society, the traditional food quality detection method has certain limitations, terahertz spectral technology (THZ) is a new spectral detection technology, its strong perspective, efficient spectral resolution ability, special fingerprint and nondestructive, in the field of food quality and safety detection has important application value. Due to the high efficiency of food quality and the need for accurate nondestructive testing, automated nondestructive testing for food quality and safety has aroused great interest from the food sector. Faster, accurate, reliable and simplified techniques are needed to classify good quality. With their unique low-energy, penetrating, rapid and non-destructive techniques are widely used as a non-destructive and cost-effective method in the food sector. This paper summarizes the principles and instruments of terahertz spectrum, and introduces the research progress of terahertz spectral detection in food, analyzes the problems in the field of food quality and safety detection, and discusses the future development trend of terahertz spectral technology.

Investigation of acid exposure duration on migration behavior of sodium borosilicate glass-ceramic coatings

This study investigates the migration behavior of Na2O-B2O3-SiO2 glass-ceramic coatings under different exposure durations. Sinter-crystallization at 830 °C for 4.5 min transforms the glass into a crystalline phase. Coatings were immersed in 3% acetic acid solutions for durations ranging from 15 to 960 min. Chemical migration was measured using ICP-MS analysis, while SEM and surface profilometry assessed surface morphology and roughness. Coatings remained compliant with ISO 4531:2022 food-contact standard, even after 960 min. Dissolution of alkaline network modifiers initially increased roughness, which then returned to the initial value. This research provides insights into the stability and applicability of glass-ceramic coatings for long-term use in food-contact surfaces, contributing to the field of surface coatings and food safety.

Highly sensitive SERS detection of melamine based on 3D Ag@porous silicon photonic crystal

The stability, reproducibility and engineering of SERS substrate faces a great challenge in melamine SERS assay. In this work, a simple, highly sensitive, stable and cost-efficient SERS detection platform for melamine was established based on its Raman fingerprints spectrum. The Ag@ porous silicon photonic crystal (Ag@PPC) was prepared as the 3D SERS substrate by electrochemical etching and magnetron sputter technology. The main influence factors for the preparation of SERS substrate were investigated in detail. The analytical enhancement factor of the 3D SERS substrate can reach to 2.6 × 108. The 3D SERS detection platform showed a wide linear detection range of 10−4∼10 mg L−1 and a low limit of detection of 0.1 μg L−1 for melamine. Moreover, such detection platform showed good stability, high reproducibility and high recovery rates for melamine. The 3D Ag@PPC SERS substrate can be easily prepared and engineered, displaying a great potential application in food safety field.

Preparation of flexible SERS substrate with excellent performance based on the electrospraying technique

Paper-based flexible surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate has significant advantages in the detection of pesticide residues on the surface of fruits and vegetables due to its full contact with the sample surface. However, it is found that the development of new paper-based flexible SERS substrate preparation technology is still necessary through the evaluation of the current preparation technology. In addition, the development of new application scenarios can also promote the further development of SERS technology. Herein, a highly sensitive paper-based flexible SERS substrate is prepared by depositing Cu2O/Ag(4) composite particles on commercial filter paper by electrospraying technique. Compared with other preparation technologies, in addition to the characteristics of simplicity and speed, more importantly, it will not cause waste of nanoparticles. By adjusting the parameters, the optimized substrate shows excellent SERS performance with the minimum detection concentrations are 10−9 M and 10−9 M for R6G and thiram, respectively. It also has good linear correlation of concentration (R2 = 0.952), good reproducibility, and excellent time stability. Furthermore, based on the good filtration characteristics of commercial filter paper, the rapid detection of pesticide residues in soil was successfully realized. This proposed a new scheme for the practical application of SERS technology in the field of food and environmental safety.

Electrochemical potential enhanced EC-SERS sensor for sensitive and label-free detection of acetamiprid

Label-free surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) holds promise for detecting pesticide residues, yet its broader application in food safety is limited by the weak affinity between pesticides and SERS substrates. This study introduces an electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (EC-SERS) sensor that utilizes potential strengthened molecular interactions and Ag@SiO2 nanospheres as SERS substrates, significantly enhancing the detection sensitivity for acetamiprid (AAP). The dense distribution of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on the SiO2 surfaces creates numerous “hot spots,” significantly improving the SERS performance for AAP detection. A potential of −0.5 V substantially boosts the SERS signal intensity for AAP compared to without applied potential, notably achieving a 4.3-fold increase at the 631 cm−1 signal peak. Under optimal conditions, the EC-SERS method achieved a limit of detection (LOD) for AAP at 0.046 μM, spanning a linear range from 0.05 μM to 0.1 mM, which is 185 times more sensitive than conventional SERS approaches. When applied to vegetable samples, the method showed recoveries between 95.56 % and 109.33 %, with results corroborated by HPLC-MS analysis. Thus, this study provides an effective and facile strategy for the detection of AAP in the food safety field.