Innovative packaging technologies that contribute to food safety include, but are not limited to, antimicrobial packaging, controlled-release packaging, nanotechnology, and biosensors. These technologies can aid in the control of not only spoilage microorganisms, which make the food product undesirable (but not necessarily unsafe), but also pathogenic organisms, which can cause illness and even death in humans. In the current economy, it may be difficult to make the decision to transition from a traditional packaging solution to an alternative; however, when product food safety is jeopardized and consumers are at potential risk, the food industry must do everything it can to prevent adverse scenarios.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently highlighted various fellowship projects across Europe, providing insight into the recent and ongoing work of EFSA in the realm of food safety risk assessment for various chemical and microbiological hazards. 

Researchers at Concordia University have developed an easy-to-use biosensor that indicates when meat has spoiled by detecting the toxin putrescine.

Researchers at the University of Georgia are developing a biosensor-based rapid diagnostic test for Listeria monocytogenes in food.

A Michigan State University-led research team has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop a rapid biosensor test for foodborne pathogens, with a focus on Salmonella and Campylobacter in poultry.

A recent study explores the use of nanosensors and biosensors as an easy, cost-effective, and rapid method of detecting foodborne pathogens.