Future horizons of Raman spectroscopy in food science: Emerging techniques and innovations for enhanced analysis

Raman spectroscopy is a key technology for to ensure sustainable and efficient food safety practices owing to its non-invasive and sensitive molecular analysis. This review highlights the recent advancements in Raman-based techniques, which offer improved sensitivity, spatial resolution, and applicability in assessing food quality and safety. Advanced techniques, such as SORS, provide non-invasive means to analyze packaged foods, whereas SRS enhances signal-to-noise ratios for real-time analysis. Integration with complementary techniques enhances detection sensitivity and supports real-time, rapid analysis. This review discusses how these technological innovations help food safety and quality control, highlighting their potential for reducing food loss and ensuring food security. This review also addresses the challenges involved in Raman spectroscopy, such as the sample complexity, sensitivity, and signal-to-noise ratio. The combination of real-time molecular analysis with artificial intelligence and IoT systems offers new possibilities for preventing foodborne illnesses, ensuring product quality, and improving supply chain management.