Advancing food safety and quality assessment: a comprehensive review of non-destructive analytical technologies

Non-destructive analytical technologies have emerged as transformative tools for advancing food safety and quality assessment, addressing critical challenges posed by chemical contaminants, microbial pathogens, and adulterants in global food supply chains. This review critically evaluates five advanced technologies-hyperspectral imaging (HSI), electrochemical sensing, infrared spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), and fluorescence sensing-highlighting their operational principles, validation milestones, and applications across diverse food matrices. Despite remarkable progress, several methodological gaps remain, including signal instability in heterogeneous samples, limited algorithm generalizability, and the lack of standardized validation protocols. Furthermore, real-time field deployment faces challenges such as sensor miniaturization, environmental robustness, and cost constraints. Emerging hybrid platforms such as HSI-SERS and electrochemical-fluorescence systems demonstrate promising synergistic advantages, offering enhanced specificity and multiplexing capabilities. Future directions emphasize integration of AI-driven analytics, IoT-enabled portable devices, and novel functional materials to address existing limitations. By bridging technological innovation with regulatory needs, this review underscores the potential of non-destructive technologies to build scalable, sustainable food safety solutions.