Nanozymes combine the catalytic properties of natural enzymes with the distinctive structural features of nanomaterials, offering significant potential for applications in food quality and safety analysis. Machine learning (ML) algorithms enable precise control over the active sites and electronic structures of nanozymes by integrating data mining, predictive modeling, and theoretical calculations. This review systematically summarizes key strategies for enhancing nanozyme activity, including morphology modulation, optimization of interfacial electron transfer, micro-environment engineering and ML-assisted design, and highlights their emerging applications in food quality and safety analysis. Particular emphasis is placed on ML-enabled high-throughput screening, which elucidates complex structure–activity relationships, accelerates the identification of high-performance nanozymes, and supports their practical application in food contaminants detection, product quality monitoring, and adulteration identification. The current challenges and future prospects for ML-assisted activity modulation, with the aim of advancing both nanozyme engineering and their translation for food quality and safety field.

Glucose plays a crucial role in maintaining human health as an indispensable source of energy in living organisms. Accurate monitoring of glucose levels in living organisms and detecting it in food is essential. In this study, gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) with unique aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effects were encapsulated within zeolite imidazole framework (ZIF-8) to fabricate a pH-responsive AuNCs@ZIF-8 fluorescent nanocomposite. The fluorescence intensity had significant sevenfold enhancement compared to AuNCs alone due to the structural domain-limiting effects exerted by ZIF-8, which effectively inhibited the rotations and vibrations of the AuNCs ligands. Based on the increased acidity generated by glucose catalytic oxidation via glucose oxidase (GOx), the subsequent degradation of ZIF-8 structure and the consequent reduction of AuNCs with AIE effects were achieved, and a rapid and efficient fluorescence quantification for glucose was performed. The constructed AuNCs@ZIF-8-based fluorescent probe demonstrated a favorable linear response to glucose, achieving a detection limit of 0.096 mmol/L and providing a rapid and efficient approach suitable for assessing glucose levels in both blood and beverage samples.

Highly toxic aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) frequently contaminates food products, posing a serious threat to human health. Developing accurate, efficient and user-friendly detection strategies is essential. This study synthesized a novel H4TCPE-UiO-66@PtNPs nanozyme with stable fluorescence and catalytic properties through integrating H4TCPE ligands possessing aggregation-induced luminescence (AIE) properties with in-situ grown PtNPs, and further developed a fluorescence-colorimetric dual-signal immunosensing platform for the detection of AFB1 contamination in food products. Utilizing an immunocompetitive reaction and magnetic separation techniques, the platform enabled quantitative analysis of AFB1, achieving favorable linear range of 0.05-100 ng/mL and high sensitivity (fluorescence LOD: 0.022 ng/mL, colorimetric LOD: 0.047 ng/mL). Real samples tests yielded satisfactory recoveries (84.6%-110.1%) and good reproducibility (RSD ≤ 5.3%, n = 3), demonstrating the platform's potential for specific identification and screening of AFB1 in complex matrices. The proposed dual-signal detection strategy provides an effective solution for self-calibrated and rapid analysis of foodborne or environmental pollutants.

In this study, a flower-like CoNi bimetallic layered double hydroxide (CoNi-LDH) with a high specific area was synthesized, and CoNi-LDH/PtNPs composites were fabricated by self-assembling PtNPs onto the LDH surface. The resulting composites were employed to construct an electrochemical biosensing interface for the efficient detection of methyl parathion (MP). The porous CoNi-LDH, combined with the high conductivity of PtNPs, provided a suitable microenvironment for hemoglobin (Hb) immobilization, preserve bioactivity while accelerating electron transfer. This synergy significantly enhanced electrochemical response, improving detection sensitivity. The developed biosensor exhibited a linear response to MP in the range of 1-110 ng mL-1 with a detection limit of 0.38 ng mL-1. In the analysis of vegetable samples, the sensor demonstrated reliable analytical performance, yielding recoveries of 91.1-102.1% with RSDs below 8.0% which were matched HPLC results (R2 = 0.9949). This work offers a practical electrochemical strategy for monitoring MP residues in agricultural products, demonstrating promising application prospect.

In this study, a surface molecularly imprinted polymer (FS-CDs@SMIP) was successfully fabricated using SiO2stabilized magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles and fluorescent carbon dots (CDs), utilizing computational simulations to guide the selection of oxytetracycline (OTC) as the template molecule and acrylamide as the optimal functional monomer. The resulting FS-CDs@SMIP exhibited high adsorption capacity, sensitive fluorescence response, and efficient magnetic separation performance toward tetracycline antibiotics (TCs). Computational simulation-assisted screening of templates, functional monomers, and their optimal ratios significantly reduced labor-intensive experimental procedures involved in preparing specific recognition materials. The integration of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles with fluorescent CDs enabled both rapid separation and sensitive detection. The prepared FS-CDs@SMIP demonstrated high adsorption capacity (102.47-403.34 mg g(- 1)) and rapid mass transfer kinetics (equilibrium time: 11 min), following the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-first-order kinetic models. The FS-CDs@SMIP-based fluorescence sensing platform exhibited a wide linear detection range for TCs (0.001-100 mg L-1, R-2 = 0.9971) and a low detection limit of 44.9 ng mL(-1). The material also displayed remarkable storage stability and achieved satisfactory recoveries (91.2-103.8%) with low relative standard deviations (RSD, < 2.7%, n = 3) in spiked sample analyses, confirming its reliability and practical applicability. This work presents valuable and scalable strategies for the rational design and efficient fabrication of multi-functional materials.

The poor stability of perovskite luminescent materials in aqueous environments significantly limits their applicability in sensing technologies. In this study, perovskite quantum dot nanospheres (PQDs@PbBr(OH)) were synthesized using a water-assisted reprecipitation method, demonstrating remarkable stability and high fluorescence efficiency in aqueous media. These fluorescent nanospheres were subsequently conjugated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-specific aptamers to construct a signal probe (PQDs@PbBr(OH)-Apt), which was integrated with a quenching probe composed of MnO2 nanoflowers and complementary DNA (cDNA) to establish a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) system. Based on this configuration, an "OFF-ON" fluorescent aptasensing platform was further developed, demonstrating a broad linear response range (0.05-50 ng mL-1), a low detection limit (0.041 ng mL-1), high specificity for AFB1, and satisfied recovery rates (91.2% - 105.6%) in the analysis of real food samples. This work presents an effective strategy for detecting trace levels of AFB1 toxin in food products, and broadens the applications of perovskite-based nanomaterials in sensing fields.

Carbendazim (CBZ), a widely used systemic benzimidazole fungicide, poses risks of food residue accumulation and environmental pollution due to its bioaccumulation through the food chain and long-term overuse. Therefore, developing accurate and sensitive detection methods for CBZ residues is essential to ensure its safe application. In this study, a spherical nanoflower-like CoNi-layered double hydroxide (CoNi-LDH) was synthesized and further integrated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) via ultrasonic self-assembly approach to construct the CoNi-LDH/AuNPs nanocomposite. The synergistic interaction between CoNi-LDH and AuNPs significantly enhanced the electrochemical performance: the high specific surface area of CoNi-LDH provided abundant active sites for aptamer immobilization, while the excellent conductivity of AuNPs facilitated efficient electron transfer, thereby amplifying the sensor response. Based on these advantages, an ultrasensitive electrochemical aptasensor was developed for the precise quantification of CBZ. Leveraging its large specific surface area and superior electrical conductivity, the CoNi-LDH/AuNPs nanocomposite served as both an ideal platform for aptamer immobilization and an accelerator for electron transfer, resulting in significant signal amplification. The fabricated CoNi-LDH/AuNPs/Apt/SPE sensing platform enabled the quantitative detection of CBZ over a wide linear range (0.01-1000.0 ng mL-1) with an ultralow detection limit of 4.2 pg mL-1. This proposed method demonstrated excellent reproducibility (RSD = 2.3%), stability and interference resistance, yielding satisfactory recoveries (81.2-93.4%) in real samples of tomatoes, cucumbers and apples, and showing strong correlation with HPLC results (R2 = 0.9927). Consequently, the developed aptasensor presents a reliable, rapid and portable analytical strategy for CBZ monitoring, exhibiting considerable potential for practical applications.

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) have emerged as highly promising materials for sensing applications, owing to their distinctive crystal architecture and exceptional optoelectronic properties. However, their intrinsic structural and environmental instability constitute a fundamental barrier to practical implementation. This review systematically summarizes four primary stabilization strategies: encapsulation, ion doping, heteroepitaxial integration, and ligand-mediated surface passivation. We critically analyze the fundamental principles and specific implementation pathways of each strategy, evaluating their efficacy in improving crystallization quality, bolstering structural stability and enhancing optoelectronic performance. On this basis, the review highlights recent advances in MHPs composites fabricated via these stabilization strategies, with a focus on their applications in optical, electrochemical, and flexible wearable sensing. The working mechanisms and critical performance metrics of these sensing applications are discussed in detail, alongside an analysis of current challenges and future directions toward commercialization. Ultimately, this review provides a rigorous conceptual framework and actionable guidance for advancing the rational design, performance optimization, and practical application of MHPs-based sensing platforms.

In this study, thyme essential oil (TEO) was encapsulated into beta-cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks (beta-CD-MOFs), and the resulting TEO@beta-CD-MOFs complex was incorporated into a gel matrix to prepare the Gel/TEO@beta-CD-MOFs nanocomposite films. Compared with previous studies that encapsulated macromolecular antibacterial substances into beta-CD, the encapsulation of TEO into beta-CD-MOFs achieved a higher encapsulation efficiency (88.26 %) and demonstrated superior antibacterial (antibacterial rate >95 %) and antioxidant (free radical scavenging rate >75 %) properties. This approach also facilitated a slower and more controlled release of TEO during storage. The shelf life of strawberries was extended to 8 days, further confirming the enhanced preservation performance of the Gel/TEO@beta-CD-MOFs nanocomposite film. Moreover, the addition of 7.5 % TEO@beta-CD-MOFs into the gel matrix, improved the mechanical properties of the film, with the tensile strength (TS) reaching 15.73MPa and the elongation at break (EB) increasing to 14.69 %. The water contact angle (WCA) remained at a favorable hydrophobic level of 95.84 degrees. In conclusion, the nanocomposite films developed in this study exhibit promising potential for application in fruit preservation.

Combining animal protein with plant protein is a feasible approach to provide heteroprotein formulations with versatile properties. This review introduces the interactions of typical protein whey protein (WP) from milk with soy protein (SP), pea protein (PP), rapeseed protein (RAP), lupine protein (LP), and rice protein (RIP) through physical and chemical methods. The characteristics of whey-plant protein complexes are described with particular emphasis on the protein types, structures, and properties. In addition, the factors that influence the formation of whey-plant complexes are reviewed. The potential food applications of whey-plant protein complexes are reviewed. Overcoming the shortcomings and future challenges for applications of the heteroprotein in the food field are highlighted. This review will fill the gap of whey protein and are important for the development of more versatile properties of whey proteins as well as a systematic understanding of the synergistic biological roles of these active proteins.

Herein, a novel label-free electrochemical immunosensor was fabricated via immobilizing specific anti-beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG) antibodies (Abs) onto an integrated electrode of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)/Prussian blue (PB)/cubic Ia3d structured mesoporous carbon (CMK-8). This immunosensor allowed for the quantitative detection of the major milk allergen beta-LG. CMK-8 with excellent electrical conductivity and uniformly adjustable pore structure was modified on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and served as the sensitive substrate for the electro-polymerization of PB, forming the redox-active layer. AuNPs were subsequently electrochemically deposited on PB/CMK-8/GCE to improve the electrical conductivity and utilized as the connector for Abs immobilization. During beta-LG detection, the Abs-modified AuNPs/PB/CMK-8/GCE exhibited a significant reduction in differential pulse voltammetry current signal when exposed to beta-LG, displaying an inverse dose-dependent relationship. The developed electrochemical immunosensor demonstrated good detection performance for beta-LG, with a wider linear range of 0.01-100 ng/mL and a lower detection limit of 4.72 pg/mL. Meanwhile, the sensor exhibited remarkable repeatability, reproducibility, stability and anti-interference capabilities, which was further applied to detect beta-LG in dairy food, achieving satisfactory recoveries (89.2%-98.8%) and lower relative standard deviation (<= 3.1%). Therefore, this innovative electrochemical method for food allergen detection holds great potential application in food safety determination and evaluation.

Food contamination poses a significant global public health challenge, necessitating the accurate detection of hazardous substances within complex food matrices. Magnetic core–shell nanomaterials have emerged as critical materials for trace contaminant analysis due to their efficient magnetic separation capabilities, excellent adsorption performance, and tunable surface functionalities. By encapsulating magnetic cores with functional shells, these nanomaterials combine rapid magnetic responsiveness with advantageous shell properties, including target-specific recognition, enhanced dispersibility, colloidal stability, and high surface area. This enables a comprehensive detection approach encompassing target adsorption, rapid separation, and signal amplification. Magnetic core–shell nanomaterials have been effectively integrated with techniques including magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE), fluorescence (FL) assays, and lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs), demonstrating broad applicability in food safety monitoring and detection. This review outlines synthesis strategies for magnetic core–shell nanomaterials, highlights their applications for food contaminant detection, and discusses future challenges and prospects in the field of food safety analysis.

This study integrated nitrogen-doped carbon dots (nitrogen-doped CDs) with remarkable fluorescence into a high-porosity inverse opal photonic crystal (IOPC) structure. A portable fluorescent hydrogel strip was developed by incorporating molecular imprinted biomimetic recognition, enabling the rapid identification and accurate detection of the insecticide imidacloprid (IMI). The ordered and hierarchical architecture of the IOPCs was advantageous to the uniform dispersion of nitrogen-doped CDs while providing efficient mass transfer channels for IMI. Additionally, the sensing strips achieved adsorption equilibrium within 20 min and demonstrated excellent selectivity, stability, and reusability. They showed a linear response to IMI across the range of 0.1-50 μg/mL (R2 = 0.9905) with a detection limit of 0.065 μg/mL (S/N = 3). The spiked recoveries ranged from 88.2 % to 102.8 %, aligning well with HPLC results. This indicates that the developed fluorescent molecularly imprinted hydrogel sensing strip is an effective analytical tool for detecting IMI residues in food products.

Food quality and safety have consistently been a central global concern, directly related to public health and well-being, as well as to the sound development of the food industry [...]

The fluoroquinolone-enrofloxacin (ENR) residue in animal-derived foods poses a significant threat to human health, thereby necessitating developing precise, efficient, and user-friendly detection methods. This study developed a dual-mode fluorescence-colorimetric immunosensing platform using the composite of bimetallic nanoparticles integrated with metal-organic frameworks (Au/Pt NPs@NH2-MIL-53(Al)). The Au/Pt NPs with biocompatibility and peroxidase-like activity were modified onto fluorescent NH2-MIL-53(Al) and conjugated with Ab2 to construct signal probes. The platform enables dual-mode quantitative analysis through the competitive binding of ENR and ENR-BSA conjugate to signal probes. It demonstrated a wider linear range (0.08-180 ng/mL) and high sensitivity [LOD: 0.068 ng/mL (fluorescence), 0.066 ng/mL (colorimetric), and 0.074 ng/mL (smartphone-assisted color recognition)]. In real sample analyses, the recoveries ranged from 86.7 % to 106.7 %, with satisfactory stability (RSD ≤ 4.4 %, n = 3). The dual-signal mode facilitates results self-calibration, enhancing reliability, while smartphone-assisted color recognition enables on-site, convenient screening, offering great potential for ENR detection in complex food matrices.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a typical environmental estrogen that is distributed worldwide and has the potential to pose a hazard to the ecological environment and human health. The development of an efficient and sensitive sensing strategy for the monitoring of BPA residues is of paramount importance. A novel electrochemical sensor based on carbon black and carbon nanofibers composite (CB/f-CNF)-assisted signal amplification has been successfully constructed for the amperometric detection of BPA in foods. Herein, the hybrid CB/f-CNF was prepared using a simple one-step ultrasonication method, and exhibited good electron transfer capability and excellent catalytic properties, which can be attributed to the large surface area of carbon black and the strong enhancement of the conductivity and porosity of carbon nanofibers, which promote a faster electron transfer process on the electrode surface. Under the optimized conditions, the proposed CB/f-CNF/GCE sensor exhibited a wide linear response range (0.4–50.0 × 10−6 mol/L) with a low limit of detection of 5.9 × 10−8 mol/L for BPA quantification. Recovery tests were conducted on canned peaches and boxed milk, yielding satisfactory recoveries of 86.0–102.6%. Furthermore, the developed method was employed for the rapid and sensitive detection of BPA in canned meat and packaged milk, demonstrating comparable accuracy to the HPLC method. This work presents an efficient signal amplification strategy through the utilization of carbon/carbon nanocomposite sensitization technology.

Background Contaminants in food matrices have led to potential residue problems, posing significant threats to both food safety and human health. To ensure effective food safety monitoring, there is a critical need for the development of sensitive, on-site, portable, and economically viable detection strategies. Point-of-care testing (POCT) has emerged as an attractive technique owing to its features of portable, rapid, on-site and cost-effective. However, natural enzymes, commonly employed as signaling molecules in POCT, encounter challenges such as poor stability and high production costs. Consequently, nanozymes have emerged as promising alternatives to natural enzymes, owing to their excellent enzyme-like catalytic properties, remarkable stability, and low cost. Scope and approach This review provides a brief overview of the catalytic mechanisms, classifications, and applications of common nanozymes in POCT devices for detecting food contaminants, with an emphasis on strategies to enhance detection performance. Additionally, the challenges and prospects of nanozyme-based POCT in food contaminants detection are discussed, aiming to provide significant insights into advanced and efficient approaches for this promising field. Key findings and conclusions With the rapid development of novel nanomaterials, high-throughput screening techniques, and portable detection technologies, nanozyme-integrated POCT strategies are expected to overcome the existing challenges related to sensitivity, portability, reliability and cost-effectiveness in contaminant detection. This will further expand the application scope of POCT from food safety monitoring and on-site device design to other fields, such as environmental regulation and bio-diagnostics.

Trace levels of pesticides and heavy metals in the environment and foodstuffs represent a substantial threat to human health. This study presented a bifunctional NH2-MIL-88(Fe)@Pt nanozyme possessing superior peroxidase-mimicking activity and fluorescence properties, further establishing a dual-channel "OFF-ON" sensing platform for the simultaneous visual detection of glyphosate (GLY) and Pb2+. In the "OFF-ON" mechanism, cysteamine (CA)-mediated catalytic suppression of TMB oxidation was reversed through specific Pb2+ chelation, enabling quantitative Pb2+ detection with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.0049 μg/mL (0.024 μM). The abundant -NH2 groups on NH2-MIL-88(Fe)@Pt induced fluorescence quenching via Cu2+-triggered Lewis acid-base coordination. The preferential binding of Cu2+ to GLY restored fluorescence, facilitating quantitative detection of GLY (LOD: 0.0082 μg/mL (0.048 μM)). Based on these principles, a hydrogel-based NH2-MIL-88(Fe)@Pt nanozyme platform incorporating smartphone analysis was developed to achieve semi-quantitative visual detection of GLY and Pb2+, demonstrating significant potential for efficient contaminant screening in agri-environments and foodstuffs.

Chiral plasmonic nanoparticles (CPNPs) are blooming building blocks in modern nanotechnology and have attracted great attention due to their unique capabilities in manipulating light, enabling enantiomeric-based theranostics, realizing chiral sensing, and so on. Here, we report a strategy for the preparation of highly dendritic CPNPs. Using gold nanotriangles as seeds and cysteine as a shape-directing agent, two distinct dendritic nanostructures, termed gold nanoflowers (Au NFs) and gold nanourchins (Au NUs), can be obtained by adjusting the cysteine concentration within the reaction system. Electron microscopy studies show that such dendritic nanoparticles are formed through the island growth mode of Au atoms around the gold nanotriangle seeds. Particularly, they both show capabilities of enantiomer recognition when serving as SERS substrates in the detection of phenylalanine enantiomers, with Au NFs possessing a stronger differentiation ability. This SERS-based enantiomer recognition is also applicable to other chiral molecules (i.e., propranolol), suggesting great potentials of dendritic CPNPs in chiral detection and enantiomer recognition.

As broad-spectrum antibiotics, tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) have been extensively utilized in aquaculture and agricultural production processes. However, the misuse of TCs has led to severe ecological pollution and posed significant risks to human health. The adsorption-photocatalytic synergistic technology based on metal-organic framework materials (MOFs) is considered a highly promising strategy for the efficient removal of organic pollutants. In this study, a bimetallic Zr/Co-UiO-66 framework material with dual adsorption and photocatalytic functionalities was synthesized, targeting the removal of TCs from water. This material exhibited a high specific surface area and abundant oxygen vacancies (OVs), which facilitated rapid adsorption of contaminants and efficient separation and transfer of the carriers. Compared to the monometallic framework Zr-UiO-66, the bimetallic framework demonstrated superior adsorption (5.13-fold) and photocatalytic efficiency (2.21-fold). The adsorption behavior of oxytetracycline (OTC) by Zr/Co-UiO-66 fitted well with the Freundlich isotherm model and followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The synergistic effect of adsorption and photocatalysis (1.72-fold increase in kinetic rate) was verified by comparison with sequential adsorption-degradation processes. The photocatalytic degradation mechanism for OTC was elucidated, and the degradation intermediates and five pathways were identified through LC-MS analysis. The bimetallic Zr/Co-UiO-66 achieved high degradation efficiency (90.7 %-97.9 %) for TCs and exhibited broad-spectrum activity, good long-term operational stability and recyclability. This study proposes a robust and referential method for the development of multi-functionalized framework materials that facilitates the efficient removal of pollutants from environmental samples.