Engineering Nanomaterials for Next-Generation Electrochemical Food Safety Sensors: A Comprehensive Review

Rising global demand for safe, high-quality foods has accelerated the development of rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective analytical technologies for detecting harmful substances and quality markers. Electrochemical sensors have emerged as promising tools for food safety monitoring due to their high sensitivity, fast response, portability, and affordability compared with conventional laboratory methods. This review highlights recent advances in nanostructured electrochemical sensors for detecting key food analytes, including antioxidants, mycotoxins, allergens, and flavor compounds in diverse food matrices. It examines advanced nanomaterials such as metal oxides, MXenes, doped carbon nitrides, and noble metal-decorated graphene, which enhance sensor performance through improved surface area, conductivity, and electrocatalytic activity. Integrated with screen-printed or glassy carbon electrodes, these materials achieve ultra-low detection limits, wide linear ranges, and strong selectivity in complex food systems. The review also explores next-generation applications such as NFC-enabled smart packaging for continuous, non-invasive monitoring across the supply chain. Emerging trends in miniaturization, multiplex sensing, and artificial intelligence are discussed, along with key challenges in translating laboratory innovations into practical commercial solutions for global food safety.