Harnessing Nanomaterials for Cutting-Edge Biosensing of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens

The food industry represents a cornerstone of the global economy with continued expansion projected in the coming years. Ensuring food safety is paramount for safeguarding public health and supporting socio-economic prosperity. Despite stringent regulatory measures, foodborne illnesses caused by bacterial pathogens remain a significant concern. Conventional detection methods are often slow, labor-intensive, and insufficiently sensitive, limiting timely intervention to prevent outbreaks. There has been a concerted endeavor to develop point-of-care (POC) devices for the rapid and sensitive detection of foodborne pathogens. Nanomaterials (including metallic, nonmetallic, and inorganic substrates) with their unique physicochemical properties offer great potential for biosensing applications. This review summarizes recent advances in nanotechnology-based strategies for the POC detection of foodborne pathogens. This review highlights advances in nanotechnology-based biosensing platforms for POC applications, emphasizing the distinctive features of nanomaterials and their integration into innovative detection technologies aimed at enhancing food safety and reducing the burden of foodborne diseases.