Use of Nanotechnology to Identify Pathogenic Bacteria and Toxins in Food

Foodborne illnesses associated with pathogens, toxins, and other contaminants pose serious threat to human health. Conventional detection methods for bacterial pathogens and toxins are time consuming and laborious, requiring certain sophisticated instruments and trained personnel. Nanomaterials including metal oxide and metal nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, and other nano-based materials are gaining a prominent role in the design of sensors and biosensors for food analysis. In this review, various nanomaterial-based sensors reported in the literature for detection of several foodborne bacterial pathogens and toxins are summarized highlighting their principles, advantages, and limitations in terms of simplicity, sensitivity, and multiplex detection capability.