Application of Aggregation-Induced Emission Materials in the Identification and Detection of Food-Borne Pathogens: A Review

Food-borne pathogens are one of the major factors causing food safety incidents. Therefore, designing new probes for the rapid identification and detection of food-borne pathogens is of great significance to ensure food safety and human health. Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) materials are a new type of fluorescent material that has been discovered in recent years. AIE materials have the characteristics of ‘the more aggregated, the more luminescent’, endowing them with the advantages of low background, high signal intensity, and strong light stability. Besides, AIE probes can be used without the need for any washing procedure, greatly saving the operation time and reducing sample loss. AIE probes have been of interest to researchers due to their potential in the identification and detection food-borne pathogens. This paper comprehensively analyzes and summarizes the application of AIE materials in the identification and detection food-borne pathogens, with a focus on the relationship between the molecular structures of AIE materials and their functions of AIE materials in the typing, species identification, and viability determination of food-borne pathogens. This paper also discusses the present shortcomings and possible future directions in this field.