Magnetic Nanoseparation Technology for Efficient Control of Microorganisms and Toxins in Foods: A Review

Outbreaks of foodborne diseases mediated by food microorganisms and toxins remain one of the leading causes of disease and death worldwide. It not only poses a serious threat to human health and safety but also imposes a huge burden on health care and socioeconomics. Traditional methods for the removal and detection of pathogenic bacteria and toxins in various samples such as food and drinking water have certain limitations, requiring a rapid and sensitive strategy for the enrichment and separation of target analytes. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) exhibit excellent performance in this field due to their fascinating properties. The strategy of combining biorecognition elements with MNPs can be used for fast and efficient enrichment and isolation of pathogens. In this review, we describe new trends and practical applications of magnetic nanoseparation technology in the detection of foodborne microorganisms and toxins. We mainly summarize the biochemical modification and functionalization methods of commonly used magnetic nanomaterial carriers and discuss the application of magnetic separation combined with other instrumental analysis techniques. Combined with various detection techniques, it will increase the efficiency of detection and identification of microorganisms and toxins in rapid assays.