Lateral flow assays in food analysis

The intricacy of the global food systems has led to a focus on food safety and authentication, and food safety is a serious concern at every stage of manufacturing because foodborne microorganisms have a negative effect on human health. Furthermore, the presence of chemicals, drugs, heavy metals, microbial pathogens, mycotoxins, pesticides, and other potentially hazardous substances in food products poses a threat to food safety. Therefore, it is vital to develop a reliable and user-friendly tool to assess food quality. Traditional approaches to determining substances affecting seed safety in food analysis, like chromatographic techniques (high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography), immunoassay techniques (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), polymerase chain reaction, mass spectrometry, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive, which makes them unsuitable for on-site use. The need for quick and easy methods for food safety has increased due to recurrent outbreaks of foodborne illness. Lateral flow assays (LFA) have gained popularity recently due to their on-site, low-cost, and quick pathogen detection capabilities. Here, recent advances in LFAs for detecting various food safety threats in food samples were examined, and the advantages and disadvantages of LFA performance were highlighted. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of LFAs in food analysis, as well as future trends, will be discussed. The primary obstacles to the continued advancement of LFA platforms were explained, and LFAs could soon provide exceptional performance at the point of care that can compete with laboratory methods. © 2026 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved..