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Biosensors are not commonly used for food microbial analysis; they have great potential for the detection of microbial pathogens and their toxins in food. They enable fast or real-time detection, portability, and multipathogen detection for both field and laboratory analysis. Several applications have been developed for microbial analysis of food pathogens, including E. coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes, as well as various microbial toxins such as staphylococcal enterotoxins and mycotoxins. The technology is based on a specific biological recognition element in combination with a transducer for signal processing. Improving the preservation or increasing the yield of agricultural products is a common aim for the producers. However, the use of xenobiotics clearly represents a potential risk for consumers. Finally the concern on the safety issue is a key aspect for food industry, regulatory agencies and control laboratories. Along with instrumental analytical protocols there is the need for complementary techniques to detect quality parameters and safety threats which can be applied in delocalised analysis or as rapid screening methods, viz., Bioassays, immunoassays, chemical assay , lateral flow devices. In addition to these, biosensors represent an interesting alternative that may respond to a number of analytical problems.
Keywords: Biosensors, Food pathogens, Bio-reactors, Optical biosensors, Electro-chemical biosensors