Microfluidic advances in food safety control

• Published in: Food research international 2024-01, Vol.176, p.113799-113799, Article 113799
• Main Authors: Diep Trinh, Thi Ngoc, Trinh, Kieu The Loan, Lee, Nae Yoon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological contaminant; Chemical contaminant; Food contamination; Food safety; Foodborne pathogens; Microfluidics; Pesticides
• ISSN: 0963-9969; 1873-7145
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113799

[Display omitted] •Advances of microfluidic chips for chemical contaminants detection are summarized.•Advances of microfluidic chips for biological contaminants detection are summarized.•Pros and cons of detection methods for food contamination are explained.•Comparative assessment is provided for future investigation and application. Food contamination is a global concern, particularly in developing countries. Two main types of food contaminants—chemical and biological—are common problems that threaten human health. Therefore, rapid and accurate detection methods are required to address the threat of food contamination. Conventional methods employed to detect these two types of food contaminants have several limitations, including high costs and long analysis time. Alternatively, microfluidic technology, which allows for simple, rapid, and on-site testing, can enable us to control food safety in a timely, cost-effective, simple, and accurate manner. This review summarizes advances in microfluidic approaches to detect contaminants in food. Different detection methods have been applied to microfluidic platforms to identify two main types of contaminants: chemical and biological. For chemical contaminant control, the application of microfluidic approaches for detecting heavy metals, pesticides, antibiotic residues, and other contaminants in food samples is reviewed. Different methods including enzymatic, chemical-based, immunoassay-based, molecular-based, and electrochemical methods for chemical contaminant detection are discussed based on their working principle, the integration in microfluidic platforms, advantages, and limitations. Microfluidic approaches for foodborne pathogen detection, from sample preparation to final detection, are reviewed to identify foodborne pathogens. Common methods for foodborne pathogens screening, namely immunoassay, nucleic acid amplification methods, and other methods are listed and discussed; highlighted examples of recent studies are also reviewed. Challenges and future trends that could be employed in microfluidic design and fabrication process to address the existing limitations for food safety control are also covered. Microfluidic technology is a promising tool for food safety control with high efficiency and applicability. Miniaturization, portability, low cost, and samples and reagents saving make microfluidic devices an ideal choice for on-site detection, especially in low-resource areas. Despite many advantages of