From time to time, a food product is recalled due to some type of contamination. Recalls of such products can cause consumers to question the safety and reliability of what they eat and drink. In many cases, the recall comes too late to prevent some people from getting sick.

Despite the food industry's efforts to combat pathogens, products still get contaminated and people still get sick. Much of the problem stems from the available tools for screening harmful pathogens, which are often not effective enough to protect the public.

In AIP Advances, published by AIP, researchers from Guangdong University of Technology and Pudong New District People's Hospital have developed a new method for detecting foodborne pathogens that is faster, cheaper and more effective than existing methods. The researchers hope their technique can improve screening processes and keep contaminated food out of the hands of consumers.

Even with the best detection method, finding contaminating pathogens is not an easy task. There are indeed existing detection methods such as cellular culture and DNA sequencing, but on a large scale there are problems. Not every batch of food can be carefully checked, so some contaminants are inevitably slipping."Overall, these methods face limitations such as lengthy result times, the need for specialized equipment and trained personnel, and challenges in detecting multiple pathogens simultaneously, highlighting the need for improved detection techniques,\" said Feng.

The study's authors decided to take a different approach, designing a microfluidic chip that uses light to detect multiple types of pathogens simultaneously. Their chip was created using 3D printing, making it easy to manufacture in large quantities and modify it to target specific pathogens.

The chip is divided into four parts, each of which is adapted to detect a specific pathogen. If that pathogen is present in the sample, it will bind to a detection surface and change its optical properties. This arrangement let the researchers detect several common bacteria, such as E. coli, salmonella, listeria and S. aureus, quickly and at very low concentrations. "This method can detect various pathogens quickly and efficiently, and the test results are easy to interpret, which greatly improves the detection efficiency," Feng said.

The team plans to further develop their device to make it more suitable for food screening.