Foodborne diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms and their toxins in animal-derived foods pose a serious global public health threat. Conventional approaches for pathogen detection are often hampered by laborious processes, prolonged turnaround times, and a reliance on complex instrumentation typically confined to laboratory settings, thereby limiting the applications of rapid, on-site analysis. Optical biosensors have recently emerged as an attractive alternative for food safety monitoring, owing to their high sensitivity, rapid response, and portability. This review outlines recent progress in optical biosensing, with a focus on its application for detecting bacterial pathogens and toxins in foods of animal origin. First, we outline common pathogenic microorganisms and their associated toxins, along with the corresponding clinical manifestations and preventive measures. Subsequently, we elaborate on the mechanisms and applications of major optical biosensing strategies, including colorimetric, fluorescence, and Raman spectroscopy, highlighting performance enhancement achieved through functional nanomaterials. Furthermore, we discuss the advantages of multiple signal detection strategies in improving detection sensitivity, accuracy and reliability. Finally, we present current challenges and future development trends in optical sensing technologies for food safety, aiming to provide a reference for developing efficient, sensitive, and on-site detection tools for foodborne pathogens.

Legume foods are not only trendy but also rich in nutrients and offer unique health benefits. Nevertheless, allergies to soy and other legumes have emerged as critical issues in food safety, presenting significant challenges to the food processing industry and impacting consumer health. The complexity of legume allergens, coupled with inadequate allergen identification methods and the absence of robust detection and evaluation systems, complicates the management of these allergens. Here, we provide a comprehensive and critical review, mentioning various aspects related to legume allergies, including the types of legume allergens, the mechanisms behind these allergies, and the immunoglobulin E (IgE)-binding epitopes involved, summarizing and discussing the detection techniques and the impact of different processing techniques on sensitization to legume proteins. Furthermore, this paper provides an overview of research advances in diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for legume allergens and discusses current challenges and prospects for studying legume allergens.