Young scientists develop sensors to control food safety

The modern food industry is under constant pressure to increase food production while maintaining high product quality. This necessity often leads to the use of various pesticides, veterinary drugs, chemical additives, etc. during the production and processing of food products. Additionally, food contains substances of natural origin such as mycotoxins, heavy metals, pathogens and allergens. The presence of all the above-mentioned substances in concentrations higher than permitted can have serious negative consequences for human health, which is why the control of their content in food is of the utmost importance.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 600,000 people fall ill every year after consuming contaminated food, and 420,000 of these cases result in death. Regulatory agencies such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) have prescribed regulations and standards to monitor and control the content of contaminants in food to ensure its safety. However, developing countries, including Serbia, often have difficulty meeting these increasingly complex and stringent requirements in the field of food safety and security, primarily due to limited economic capacity.

Methods currently used in the laboratory practice of food analysis, such as liquid chromatography or mass spectrometry, although highly sensitive and selective, require trained operators and expensive instruments. As a result, there is a huge demand for affordable, fast and readily available alternative detection platforms that can be widely used. This area is attracting the attention of numerous researchers worldwide, reflecting its critical importance in ensuring consumer welfare.

In Serbia, we have the Research Team gathered around the MiMoSenSa project, financed through the PROMIS 2023 program of the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia. The team gathered around this project is developing affordable electrochemical sensors for fast and efficient detection of contaminating substances in food.

Innovations in sensor development

The MiMoSenSa project team strives to develop portable and economically viable electrochemical sensors, which will be easy to use and intended for the detection of the most common chemical food contaminants. The focus is on the detection of pesticides - glyphosate, as one of the most widely used pesticides in the world and in Serbia; then the veterinary drug - sulfamethoxazole, a frequently used antibiotic in veterinary medicine, as well as the mycotoxin - aflatoxin B1, one of the most toxic mycotoxins, a product of molds that attack cereals. Using a multidisciplinary approach to food safety control, the MiMoSenSa project team will work on the development of sensors with exceptional analytical characteristics - high specificity and sensitivity, relying on carefully designed multifunctional materials such as molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).

Young scientists in action

The MiMoSensa multidisciplinary team brings together a group of talented and ambitious young scientists from three scientific institutions of the University of Belgrade - the Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, the Faculty of Chemistry and the Institute of Nuclear Sciences in Vinca. The goal of the team is to track the latest trends in science and then to apply them in solving food safety problems. By completing this project, these young scientists will gain invaluable experience and skills in project management, which will improve their ability for future research and make a significant contribution to the field of food safety.

Significance of the project for the global community

By developing new, widely accessible methods for the detection of food contaminants, the MiMoSenSa project is paving the way for regular monitoring of food safety. Consistent use of these methods will not only increase awareness of the harmful effects of toxic substances, but also provide valuable data needed to reduce risk and protect the well-being of individuals. The MiMoSenSa project represents a significant step towards the improvement of global food safety, ensuring the development of technologies that can be useful not only in Serbia but also around the world.



Finally, the MiMoSenSa project, in addition to contributing to food safety, improves the scientific capacities of researchers and participating institutions, contributes to technological development, and lays the foundations for future innovation and research in this critically important area.

Dr. Vesna Stankovic, project manager and senior research associate, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade

Fond za nauku Republike Srbije

Institut za hemiju, tehnologiju i metalurgiju Beograd

Hemijski fakultet Beograd

Institut za nuklearne nauke Vinča Beograd

Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia

Institute of Chemistry

Technology and Metallurgy Belgrade

Faculty of Chemistry Belgrade

Institute of Nuclear Sciences Vinca

World Health Organization

WHO

European Food Safety Agency

EFSA

United States Food and Drug Administration

USFDA

MiMoSenSa project

the PROMIS 2023 program

glyphosates

pesticides

sulfamethoxazole

aflatoxin