Microfluidic Paper-Based Analytical Devices for the Determination of Food Contaminants: Developments and Applications

ABSTRACT: Food safety is an issue that cannot be ignored at any time because of the great impact of food contaminants on people's daily life, social production, and the economy. Because of the extensive demand for high-quality food, it is necessary to develop rapid, reliable, and efficient devices for food contaminant detection. Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (mu PADs) have been applied in a variety of detection fields owing to the advantages of low-cost, ease of handling, and portability. This review systematically discusses the latest progress of mu PADs, including the fundamentals of fabrication as well as applications in the detection of chemical and biological hazards in foods, hoping to provide suitable screening strategies for contaminants in foods and accelerating the technology transformation of mu PADs from the lab into the field.