Tools for Rapid Detection and Control of Foodborne Microbial Pathogens

Abstract

Foodborne illnesses have become more common over time, posing a major threat to human health around the world. Foodborne pathogens can be present in a variety of foods, and it is critical to detect them in order to ensure a safe food supply and prevent foodborne illnesses. Traditional methods for detecting foodborne pathogens are time-consuming and labor-intensive. As a result, a range of technologies for quick detection of foodborne pathogens have been developed, as it is necessary for many food analysis. Nucleic acid-based, biosensor-based, and immunological-based approaches are the three types of rapid detection methods. The ideas and use of modern quick technologies for the detection of foodborne bacterial infections are the focus of this chapter.

An Overview of the Public Health Challenges in Diagnosing and Controlling Human Foodborne Pathogens

“…As a consequence, new methods are needed in order to rapidly detect minute concentrations of live microorganisms within a given volume of food, which makes it very challenging to detect [99]. Recent advances in fast diagnosis and characterization of foodborne pathogens have been enabled by the use of nucleic acid-based techniques, immunologic methodologies and biosensor-based techniques [2,26,100]. As a result of falsenegative or false-positive results, further testing may be necessary to determine the origin of these results [2].…”

“…Recent advances in fast diagnosis and characterization of foodborne pathogens have been enabled by the use of nucleic acid-based techniques, immunologic methodologies and biosensor-based techniques [2,26,100]. As a result of falsenegative or false-positive results, further testing may be necessary to determine the origin of these results [2]. Screening for food microbes has long been regarded as an essential step in the preparation of food, but it is typically used for reliable confirmation of the presence or absence of a given pathogen in a food sample.…”

“…Foodborne infections have become more frequent over time and have now become a serious threat to public health globally, with more than 600 million people getting sick each year as a result [1,2]. Foodborne pathogens are responsible for thousands of infections and they are posing a risk to both the health of humans as well as the general economy due to their negative health effects [3].…”

Recent Advances in Aptamer-Based Biosensors for Bacterial Detection

“…The primary advantages include their structural complexity and the possibility of finetuning through post-SELEX modifications, enabling the enhancement of their binding affinity and biochemical stability in complex matrices [149,150]. Moreover, in contrast to antibodies, aptamers provide ease of production due to their small sizes and have low immunogenicity [151][152][153]. Finally, these small nucleic acid molecules have lower synthesis costs compared to antibodies and can be easily customized to accommodate changes [154].…”

Aptamer-Based Biosensors for Bacterial Detection

“…However, it is important to note that these data probably do not reflect the full scale of the problem. For instance, foodborne microorganisms can induce severe symptoms, such as putrefactive diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps or fever and cause also debilitating diseases like meningitis in young children [9,10]. In the interest of public health and consumer protection, it is evident that there is a need to concentrate efforts on developing new methods for production control, including new detection techniques.…”