Applications of surface plasmon resonance biosensors in food science

International audienceSince the development of the first surface plasmon resonance (SPR) optical biosensor in the late 1980s, SPR technology has revolutionized biomedical research by enabling real-time detection of biomolecular interactions and binding events. In addition to identifying binding partners to target molecules, SPR provides quantitative information on mechanisms that underline specificity and kinetics of affinity between two interactive molecules. At present, this technique is likely to increase in use in proteomics, protein arrays, and also in food science analysis. The aim of different institutions like the Food and Agricultural Organisation of United Nations (FAO) and industrial companies is to improve the quality of foods in order to prevent food safety problems that equally concern consumers, farmers, processors, retailers, and the government. The law imposed many measures of control before food commercialization. For example, quality or freshness is evaluated through periodic chemical and microbiological analyses. These traditional methods used to identify contaminants include physicochemical, biological, and serological tests, many of which require significant time for sample preparation and analysis. Moreover, these experimental techniques often lack sensitivity or selectivity. The recent development of optical biosensors offers advantages as alternatives to conventional methods providing specificity, simplicity, and quick response. This article focuses on the principle of SPR and its application in food science and future use