Recent progress on the construction of nanozymes-based biosensors and their applications to food safety assay

Food safety as a huge world public health threat has attracted increasing attention. Effective detection methods are of great importance to ensure food safety. However, the development of reliable and efficient detection methods has been a challenging task because of the complexity of food matrices and trace levels of food contaminants. Recently, emerging nanomaterials with mimetic enzyme activity, namely, nanozymes, have been employed for novel biosensor development, which has greatly accelerated the advancement of food safety assay. In this review, we summarize the mechanism and advances in nanozyme-based biosensors such as colorimetric biosensors, fluorescence biosensors, chemiluminescent biosensors, electrochemical biosensors, SERS-based biosensors, and other biosensors. Impressively, the applications of the nanozyme-based biosensors in food safety screening have also been comprehensively summarized (including mycotoxins, antibiotics, pesticides, pathogens, intentional adulteration, metal ions, and others). In the end, future opportunities and challenges in this promising field are tentatively proposed.