With the development of science and technology, the intermediate links in the food supply chain continue to increase, from the production of raw materials to food processing, packaging, transportation, and circulation. The factors that contaminate food run through the entire process of food supply, and various types of food may have safety hazards. Looking back, incidents such as poisoned rice, clenbuterol, water injected meat, and gutter oil have all touched the hearts of millions of people. Especially in recent years, food safety accidents have occurred frequently, and the safety of food has attracted increasing attention from society. As the saying goes, food is of paramount importance to the people, and food safety is a major concern for people's livelihoods, which is related to the stability of people's lives and the stability of society.

In the current era where food safety is highly valued, strict supervision of food quality is an inevitable trend, and continuously improving the level of food testing to ensure the efficiency of food safety management has become the key. The large amount of testing and complex testing processes have led to an increasing demand for food testing to balance timely and accurate results. Traditional testing methods are gradually unable to meet people's needs, and rapid food testing technology is gradually gaining attention.

With the continuous expansion of demand, food rapid inspection technology is also constantly emerging. At present, the main food rapid detection technologies include chemical colorimetric analysis detection technology, immunological analysis detection technology, molecular biology analysis detection technology, enzyme inhibition technology, biosensors, nanotechnology, etc. Among them, colorimetric method, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technology, and enzyme inhibition technology are widely used and mature rapid detection technologies in China.

Chemical colorimetric detection technology

Chemical colorimetric detection technology is a method of detecting a substance to be tested by using a chemical reaction that quickly produces a clear color. By comparing it with a standard colorimetric card, the substance can be qualitatively or semi quantitatively analyzed. There are mainly four methods: test paper colorimetric determination, test paper chromatographic colorimetric determination, test tube colorimetric determination, titration colorimetric determination, etc. This technology can detect harmful substances such as organophosphate pesticides, nitrates, suspended white pellets, sulfites, etc. Therefore, chemical colorimetric detection technology has certain applications in the field of pesticide residue detection in vegetables, fruits, and melons. The fast detection method approved by the Food and Drug Administration, "Rapid detection of dichlorvos, bromophosphorus, methomyl, clopidogrel, and dichlorvos residues in vegetables," is the colorimetric method used. In addition, this method has also been widely used in the detection of microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, mold, and total bacterial count.

Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay technology

Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is an immunoassay method that uses enzymes as markers. It has the advantages of sensitivity, speed, and automation, and is safe, stable, and easy to observe when used. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has become a widely used and mature biological detection technology due to its low technical requirements, easy portability, simple operation, and ease of commercialization. In food testing, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay can be used for the detection of toxins, pesticide residues, animal residues, pathogenic bacteria, hormones, and other aspects.

Enzyme inhibition method

Enzyme inhibition method includes enzyme inhibition rate method and rapid detection card method, which is a method used for primary inspection at the grassroots level. The working principle of enzyme inhibition method is that organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides can inhibit the specific biochemical reaction of acetylcholinesterase. By adding agricultural product extract and indicator in the system where acetylcholine and acetylcholinesterase coexist, observing the activity of acetylcholinesterase can determine whether the organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides in the product exceed the standard. The national standard "Rapid Detection of Organophosphorus and Carbamate Pesticide Residues in Vegetables" issued by China in 2003 clearly stipulates the method and indicators for detecting pesticide residues in vegetables using enzyme inhibition method.

Biosensor method

A biosensor is an analytical instrument that can convert the concentration of biological substances into electrical signals for detection. It has the advantages of high sensitivity and high specificity, and is generally composed of recognition elements, physical and chemical environmental sensors, and signal amplification devices. According to the different biometric elements, biosensors can be divided into enzyme sensors, cell sensors, tissue sensors, immunosensors, etc. Biosensors can be used for food additive analysis, pesticide residue analysis, microbial and toxin detection, and can also be used to detect the freshness of food.

In addition to the various rapid detection technologies mentioned above, we also use various rapid detection instruments in food safety supervision work, such as handheld Raman spectroscopy, pesticide residue rapid detection instrument, handheld bacterial detector, multifunctional food safety rapid detection instrument, etc. And with the advancement of technology, instruments continue to develop towards miniaturization. Equipment such as color chromatography-mass spectrometry, spectroscopy, dry chemical analyzers, and food safety detectors have been moved onto fast inspection vehicles, helping food supervision work achieve on-site fast inspection.

The rapid detection technology for food safety is an important support for ensuring food safety. It can screen and preliminarily evaluate food in a short period of time, effectively improve the efficiency of food safety supervision, and greatly reduce and prevent food safety accidents. In the future, food rapid inspection technology will continue to develop, continuously promoting the formation of China's food safety regulatory system and making more contributions to ensuring the safety of people's dining tables.