Review of biosensors for foodborne pathogens and toxins

Rapid detection of foodborne pathogens is important for reducing diseases caused by food contaminated with pathogens and toxins. Current methods rely on conventional culture-based techniques which are time-wise lengthy and require trained personnel, and are not effective for on-site use. On the other hand biosensors can detect pathogens in a much shorter time with sensitivity and selectivity comparable to the conventional methods, but with a slightly lower reliability. Since they are low-cost and high-throughput devices and do not require trained personnel, they potentially can be used in future as stand-alone devices for on-site monitoring. This article reviews biosensors that use optical, electrochemical and piezoelectric transduction mechanisms for the detection of foodborne contaminants. After a brief discussion of the transduction principles, specific examples of foodborne pathogen detection using biosensors are presented and critically reviewed. We conclude by noting that, in spite of the promising approaches demonstrated thus far, much work still needs to be done before they become a viable alternative to conventional methods.