review · Environmental Chemistry Letters
Carbon dots are nanoscale materials noted for their optical properties, small size, and cost-effectiveness. In the food sector, they offer promising capabilities for monitoring essential nutrients, identifying contaminants, and detecting harmful foodborne pathogens with high sensitivity and specificity. However, their use presents potential safety and health risks that must be addressed to support their incorporation into global food safety frameworks. Mitigating these risks requires refining synthesis methods to minimise toxicity, alongside rigorous regulatory evaluations. While current evidence demonstrates that carbon dots can enhance food safety testing, further investigation into their potential toxicity and associated health impacts remains necessary to build consumer confidence and support safer integration into food industry practices.
Ensuring food is free from dangerous pathogens and contaminants is critical for public health. Carbon dots provide a low-cost, highly sensitive detection method to spot hazards early in the food supply chain. However, introducing nanomaterials into food systems demands clear safety verification, meaning that understanding toxicity and establishing regulatory oversight are essential steps before these tools can protect consumers reliably.
Carbon dots could enable sensitive diagnostic tools for food producers, quality control laboratories, and food safety regulators targeting contaminants and pathogens. The technology appears to be at an early research and review stage rather than near-market deployment, as commercial adoption requires resolving toxicity concerns through optimised synthesis and navigating formal regulatory assessments to secure consumer acceptance.
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Abstract Discovered in 2004, carbon dots have garnered a major attention due to their unique optical properties, nanoscale size, and cost-effectiveness. Their potential uses are applicable for bioimaging, electronics, and the food industry. Carbon dots are promising tools for detecting contaminants, identifying harmful bacteria, and monitoring essential nutrients. Here, we review the safety risks associated with applying carbon dots in the food industry, focusing on their integration into global food safety frameworks. We highlight recent advancements in the detection capabilities of carbon dots, showcasing their sensitivity and specificity in identifying foodborne pathogens and contaminants. We discuss strategies to mitigate potential health risks, such as optimizing carbon dot synthesis to minimize their toxicity and ensuring thorough regulatory assessments. Current research shows that carbon dots improve food safety, but research is needed to address safety concerns and ensure consumer confidence.
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DOI: 10.1007/s10311-024-01779-3
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