Advanced Detection and Control Techniques for Foodborne Pathogens

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Quality and Safety".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 1630

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Interests: food safety; biosensors

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Guest Editor
Institute for Food Safety and Health, Illinois Institute of Technology, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Bedford Park, IL 60501, USA
Interests: foodborne bacteria; foodborne pathogens; food safety; food microorganisms

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Foodborne pathogens continue to pose a serious threat to global public health and the food industry, resulting in significant economic losses and safety concerns worldwide. This Special Issue highlights the latest advances in innovative strategies for pathogen detection, control, and prevention throughout the entire food supply chain—from production and processing to distribution and consumption. It focuses on biosensing and molecular detection tools that enable rapid, sensitive, and on-site detection of nucleic acids, proteins, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), facilitating early identification of contamination events. In addition, integrated approaches are explored that combine antimicrobial agents with smart and active packaging systems, as well as novel sterilization, preservation, photocatalysis, and nanomaterial-based techniques. By bridging microbiology, materials science, molecular engineering, and enzyme engineering, this issue aims to foster multidisciplinary innovation and promote the development of efficient solutions for food safety, quality control, and sustainable food systems, thereby strengthening food security and protecting public health worldwide.

Dr. Xuhan Xia
Prof. Dr. Wei Zhang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • foodborne pathogens
  • point-of-need analysis
  • rapid detection
  • molecular diagnostics
  • safety control

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2282 KB  
Article
One-Tube RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a Assays for Rapid and Visual Detection of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus cereus
by Changli Yang, Gaoke Wang, Xiaowu Zhou, Jie Song, Xu Luo, Hua Liu, Haijuan Zeng, Wenhui Wu, Xiaoyan Zhao and Jinbin Wang
Foods 2026, 15(6), 1059; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15061059 - 17 Mar 2026
Viewed by 592
Abstract
Bacilus cereus and Pseudomonas fluorescens are major foodborne psychrotrophic bacteria posing global health and economic risks. B. cereus has a 23.8% food prevalence worldwide. P. fluorescens is a leading cause of spoilage in refrigerated products. Their rapid detection is crucial for food safety. [...] Read more.
Bacilus cereus and Pseudomonas fluorescens are major foodborne psychrotrophic bacteria posing global health and economic risks. B. cereus has a 23.8% food prevalence worldwide. P. fluorescens is a leading cause of spoilage in refrigerated products. Their rapid detection is crucial for food safety. However, existing detection methods often rely on open-tube operations, risking aerosol contamination. In this study, we developed two independent one-tube RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a visual detection assays for B. cereus and P. fluorescens. Using a physical separation design, the recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and CRISPR/Cas12a detection were pre-assembled in a single reaction tube. After incubation, a brief centrifugation combined the components for enclosed detection. This step is compatible with portable mini-centrifuges. The assays can be completed within 40 min at 37 °C, with results visualized directly under blue light. Both assays demonstrated good specificity against six common non-target pathogens. The visual detection limits were 5.1 × 101 copies/μL for B. cereus and 2.1 × 101 copies/μL for P. fluorescens. Each assay was applied to 14 types of real-world food samples (naturally contaminated and uncontaminated, confirmed by PCR), achieving 100% concordance with conventional PCR. The one-tube assays are tailored for psychrotrophic bacteria in refrigerated foods. They minimize aerosol contamination risk and provide a reliable solution for on-site cold-chain food safety monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Detection and Control Techniques for Foodborne Pathogens)
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Review

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17 pages, 8460 KB  
Review
Advances of Digital Detection for Foodborne Pathogens
by Ruonan He, Diming Hua, Wenwen Wu, Mojun Shi, Xuejiao Huang, Xuhan Xia and Ruijie Deng
Foods 2026, 15(7), 1250; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15071250 - 6 Apr 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 751
Abstract
The implementation of stringent regulatory policies for foodborne pathogens necessitates ultra-sensitive analytical methods. Digital detection, characterized by absolute quantification and tolerance to complex matrices, serves as a robust approach for food safety monitoring. This review summarizes recent advances in digital detection for foodborne [...] Read more.
The implementation of stringent regulatory policies for foodborne pathogens necessitates ultra-sensitive analytical methods. Digital detection, characterized by absolute quantification and tolerance to complex matrices, serves as a robust approach for food safety monitoring. This review summarizes recent advances in digital detection for foodborne pathogens, including nucleic acid amplification-based platforms such as droplet digital PCR and digital isothermal amplification, as well as emerging preamplification-free approaches based on enzyme-mediated signal conversion, functional nanomaterials, and microfluidic devices. We also profile the applications of digital detection technologies for achieving highly specific and accurate detection of foodborne pathogens and discuss their capabilities in viable bacteria quantification, antimicrobial resistance analysis, and multiplex detection. We finally discuss emerging trends, including partition-free digital detection and artificial intelligence-assisted analysis. These advances are expected to promote the development of intelligent and data-driven food safety surveillance strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Detection and Control Techniques for Foodborne Pathogens)
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