Breakthrough in Nanotechnology: Detecting Carcinogenic Food Preservatives with High Sensitivity and Accuracy

Strategic Insights -

Researchers from the University of Lucknow, India, have made a significant discovery in the field of nanotechnology, unveiling a novel method to detect carcinogenic food preservatives, such as formalin, with unprecedented sensitivity and accuracy. The study, supported by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) - India, employs a substrate-less molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) block as a probe to detect formalin, a food preservative commonly used to extend shelf life. The researchers have successfully demonstrated the detection of formalin through localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) alongside MIP, offering a significant advancement in food adulteration monitoring.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study demonstrates the effectiveness of a substrate-less molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) block as a probe in detecting formalin, a carcinogenic food preservative.
  • The MIP probe exhibits a wide linear range (R-2 0.9) from 150 μM to 3 mM, with a limit of detection of 15.5 μM and a probe sensitivity of 0.01395 nm/μM.
  • The probe shows a high imprinting factor (IF) of 6.25 and a recovery percentage greater than 97% in real sample analysis.
  • The study presents an efficient method of monitoring food adulteration, offering features like real-time monitoring, low fabrication cost, and portability.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and published in Food Chemistry, a renowned scientific journal.

Statistics:

  • The MIP probe exhibits a wide linear range of 150 μM to 3 mM.
  • The limit of detection for the MIP probe is 15.5 μM.
  • The probe sensitivity is 0.01395 nm/μM.
  • The imprinting factor (IF) of the MIP probe is 6.25.
  • The recovery percentage in real sample analysis is greater than 97%.

Sources:

  • VerticalNews, "Data detailed on Nanotechnology - Nanoparticles have been presented" (2025, October 19)
  • Synergistic Effect of Greenly Synthesized Nanoparticles Embedded In Molecular Imprinted Polymer for the Detection of Food Preservative: Formalin. Food Chemistry, 2025;488.
  • NewsRx, LLC. "New Nanoparticles Study Findings Recently Were Reported by Researchers at University of Lucknow (Synergistic Effect of Greenly Synthesized Nanoparticles Embedded In Molecular Imprinted Polymer for the Detection of Food Preservative: Formalin)". Journal of Technology & Science. October 19, 2025; p 2652.