Unraveling the mysteries of food allergens: aptamer-driven detection and suppression strategies.

Food allergies pose a significant global health challenge, underscoring the need for effective detection and suppression methods. Conventional detection methods, such as ELISA and PCR, are often limited by challenges related to sensitivity and specificity, particularly when applied to complex food matrices. This review presents an overview of recent advancements in aptamer-based technologies, which present a promising approach for food allergen detection due to their high specificity and affinity for target molecules. Aptamers, which are small synthetic oligonucleotides, offer several advantages, including lower production costs and enhanced stability. The integration of aptamers with various detection strategies, including electrochemical, optical, and colorimetric methods, demonstrates substantial potential in improving food safety through the rapid and accurate identification of allergens. Additionally, aptamers could be exploited as a tool to alleviate allergenicity and further enhance food safety for allergic consumers. Notwithstanding challenges associated with affinity optimization, as well as concerns regarding integration into existing food safety systems and cost-effectiveness, the future of aptamer technologies in safeguarding food safety and public health appears promising.