Towards safer food systems: emerging biosensing strategies for food quality, contamination, and authenticity

Abstract In response to the increasing incidence of foodborne diseases and the limitations of traditional detection methods, ensuring food safety, authenticity, and quality has become a global concern. This study explores advanced biosensing technologies based on biological recognition elements, such as enzymes, antibodies, nucleic acids, and whole cells, focusing on their integration with nanomaterials, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas systems, and microfluidic platforms. This review provides a focused and critical synthesis of emerging biorecognition-based biosensing strategies for food quality, contamination, and authenticity monitoring. It discusses applications ranging from intelligent packaging to pathogen and contaminant detection, emphasizing innovations that enhance speed, sensitivity, and usability in the food industry. A unifying comparative framework assesses key performance metrics, including sensitivity, tolerance, cost, multiplexing capacity, and translational readiness. Although challenges remain in terms of scalability and environmental stability, progress in artificial intelligence, portable diagnostics, and biodegradable materials is leading to the development of next-generation solutions for these issues. These biosensors also play a pivotal role in contributing to sustainable development by promoting proactive healthcare and sustainable public health initiatives to ensure a safer and healthier future. These insights offer actionable pathways towards real-time, accurate, and accessible monitoring tools that safeguard health and boost consumer confidence. Graphical Abstract