Thermostatic nucleic acid amplification technology in foodborne pathogen detection: opportunities and challenges

Foodborne pathogenic bacteria contamination plays a crucial role in food safety concerns, prompting an increasing focus on the detection of such pathogens in recent years. Conventional detection methods are known for their time-consuming and complex nature, hindering the timely identification of pathogenic bacteria in food. Recently, rapid detection techniques utilizing immunoassay, molecular biology, and biosensor technologies have rapidly emerged as the primary means of pathogenic bacteria detection. Molecular biology methods, characterized by heightened sensitivity and specificity, are widely embraced in this field. Notably, the thermostatic nucleic acid amplification method is recognized for combing the rapid and sensitive attributes of regular molecular biology with its user-friendly operation and equipment advantages. This comprehensive review outlines the various thermostatic nucleic acid amplification technologies, explores their potential integration with other innovative methodologies, highlights their applications in foodborne pathogenic bacteria detection, addresses the limitations of current techniques, and suggest future development paths. Ultimately, this review aims to serve as a valuable resource for enhancing and advancing foodborne pathogenic bacteria detection methodologies.