A Review of Modern Methods for the Detection of Foodborne Pathogens

Abstract

Despite the recent advances in food preservation techniques and food safety, significant disease outbreaks linked to foodborne pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses still occur worldwide indicating that these pathogens still constitute significant risks to public health. Although extensive reviews of methods for foodborne pathogens detection exist, most are skewed towards bacteria despite the increasing relevance of other pathogens such as viruses. Therefore, this review of foodborne pathogen detection methods is holistic, focusing on pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses. This review has shown that culture-based methods allied with new approaches are beneficial for the detection of foodborne pathogens. The current application of immunoassay methods, especially for bacterial and fungal toxins detection in foods, are reviewed. The use and benefits of nucleic acid-based PCR methods and next-generation sequencing-based methods for bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens’ detection and their toxins in foods are also reviewed. This review has, therefore, shown that different modern methods exist for the detection of current and emerging foodborne bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens. It provides further evidence that the full utilization of these tools can lead to early detection and control of foodborne diseases, enhancing public health and reducing the frequency of disease outbreaks.

In situ Tracking of Exoenzyme Activity Using Droplet Luminescence Concentrators for Ratiometric Detection of Bacteria

“…Financial considerations play a central role in the development of platforms for rapid on-site food monitoring. In addition to the specificity and sensitivity of a method, its detection speed and the availability of the necessary instruments, its cost-effectiveness is a central requirement for its applicability and feasibility in the context of detecting foodborne pathogens . Consequently, despite the availability of nucleic acid and immunological-based methods that can identify different bacteria strains and viruses with high certainty and extremely low detection thresholds, the majority of food tests to date are performed using culture-based means of identification, despite the associated time delay in obtaining a positive result. , Consideration of this need for simplicity highlights that sensor layers or arrays based on Janus emulsions hold promise to address an unmet need for the development of rapid on-site screening platforms for monitoring food safety that are complementary to existing, more accurate but complicated methods.…”

Sensitive Methods to Detect Single-Stranded Nucleic Acids of Food Pathogens Based on Cell-Free Protein Synthesis and Retroreflection Signal Detection

“…Conventional methods based on the growth of microorganisms are still generally used to detect foodborne pathogens, which are time-consuming and laborious. , Instead, methods based on nucleic acid amplification techniques ,− and enzyme-linked immunoassays , have been developed to detect pathogens. Nevertheless, these methods require specialized instruments and skilled technicians for sample processing and signal measurement, which hampers their widespread applications in the management of food contamination. − …”

“…Food can be contaminated with various microorganisms, including viruses and bacteria, during production, transportation, cooking, and consumption. , Rapid and effective methods for detecting microorganisms in food samples are crucial to controlling foodborne pathogens. Conventional methods based on the growth of microorganisms are still generally used to detect foodborne pathogens, which are time-consuming and laborious. , Instead, methods based on nucleic acid amplification techniques ,− and enzyme-linked immunoassays , have been developed to detect pathogens. Nevertheless, these methods require specialized instruments and skilled technicians for sample processing and signal measurement, which hampers their widespread applications in the management of food contamination. − …”

Usefulness and Limitations of PFGE Diagnosis and Nucleotide Sequencing Method in the Analysis of Food Poisoning Pathogens Found in Cooking Employees

“…Recently, many diagnostic methods have been developed to detect food poisoning. Such methods include the use of culture-based methods, immunological assays, nucleic acid-based methods, polymerase chain reactions (PCR), next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods, and biosensors [10][11][12].…”