Molecularly imprinted polymer-based electrochemical sensors for food contaminants determination

Abstract

The critical food safety assessment is one of the essences of the modern food industry. The major factors contributing to this assessment include the increased public awareness of safe food and the surge in quantity and variety of food pollutants because of globalization, industrialization, and population growth. With molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) recognition units, electrochemical sensors have opted for food analysis in recent decades. MIP-based electrochemical sensors are versatile as they can be devised for different food contaminants. They offer simplicity in terms of sensor preparation and measurement and cost-efficiency. These sensors' affinity to target analytes is often high. In effect, the number of publications reporting MIP electrochemical chemosensors for food safety and quality monitoring applications has significantly increased. Therefore, the present review highlights the recent developments in fabricating MIP recognition-units-based electrochemical sensors and their applications in determining contaminants in various food and drink matrices.