Recent developments in electrochemical sensors and biosensors for food additives determination: Principle and application

Food additives (FAs) are natural or synthetic compounds added to food products to preserve flavor or improve taste. FAs can be classified into many groups, including sweeteners, preservatives, antioxidants, stabilizers and thickeners, emulsifiers and emulsifying salts, and color and color retention agents. To ensure the safety and quality of food products, it is essential to develop accurate and reliable methods for detecting and quantifying FAs. Electrochemical sensors have emerged as promising tools, as they can be designed to detect various FAs. Various materials are employed to modify the sensitivity and selectivity of electrochemical sensors for FAs. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the classification of FAs and recently developed electrochemical sensors/biosensors for their detection, highlighting their advantages, limitations, and food safety applications. Finally, future aspects are discussed by referencing recent critical studies, aiming to advance research in developing novel functional electrochemical (bio)sensors for food safety and contamination detection.