Detecting food borne pathogens using electrochemical biosensors: An overview

Abstract

Food safety is becoming increasingly an important public health issue, as food borne diseases present a widespread and growing public health problem in both developed and developing countries. The rapid and precise monitoring and detection of food borne pathogens are some of the most effective ways to control and prevent human food borne infections. Biosensors offer rapid and cost effective method of food borne pathogen detection. It utilizes the unique properties of biological and physical materials to recognize a target molecule and effect transduction of an electronic signal. Varieties of biosensors have been developed, viz., electrochemical (amperometric, potentiometric and impedance), optical (light scattering, fibre optics and SPR) and mass based (piezoelectric and surface acoustic). This article gives an overview of electrochemical biosensors for detection of pathogenic bacteria in the food industry. Electrochemical biosensors have some advantages over other analytical transducing systems, such as the possibility to operate in turbid media, comparable instrumental sensitivity, and possibility of miniaturisation. Basically electrochemical biosensor can be based on potentiometric, amperometric or impedimetric/conductimetric transducers. In recent years, nanotechnology has emerged as a promising field for solving food safety issues in terms of detecting contaminants. The introduction of nanomaterials into electrochemical sensors makes them suitable to reach lower detection limit, higher sensitivity values and bring novel labelling opportunities including multi detection capabilities.