Application of immunoassay in the food industry

Immunoassay techniques using the highly specific and sensitive nature of immunological reactions have been developed and applied in the food industry for detecting the naturally occurring constituents, antibiotics, pesticide residues, microorganisms, and fragments of microbial constituents related to food analysis, food production, food processing, and food safety. Both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies are employed for the development of the various immunoassay systems, including enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA). Immunoassay techniques provide complementary and/or alternate approaches in reducing the use of costly, sophisticated equipment and analysis time, but still maintaining reliability and improved sensitivity. Immunoassay techniques in their most simple forms provide excellent screening tools to detect adulteration and contaminations qualitatively. The application of immunoassay techniques contributes tremendously to the quality control and safety of our food supply.