Optical Biosensors in Foodborne Pathogen Detection

Abstract

Increasing illnesses and fatalities due to foodborne pathogen outbreaks demand rapid analysis of products for contaminants. In addition, food adulterations with poor-quality substitutes from unreliable sources also represent scenarios for unsuspecting pathogen or toxin contamination. Common pathogens include Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter spp., Bacillus spp., Vibrio spp., staphylococcal enterotoxins, and Clostridium botulinum toxin. Optical biosensors are a practical solution for detecting pathogens because of their sensitivity and relative ease of data interpretation. The most attractive optical detection methods include surface plasmon resonance (SPR); fiber-optic, light-scattering sensors such as bacterial rapid detection using optical scattering technology (BARDOT); Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR); light-addressable potentiometric sensors (LAPS); and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.