Detecting the undetectable: DIY sample preparation and infrared spectroscopy for portable mycotoxin analysis

Access to safe and sufficient food is a basic human right. However, ensuring that everyone has access to safe food is still a major global challenge. This is not only due to limitations in food testing methods, but also because of many interconnected factors such as population changes, climate change, transport and storage systems, and economic stability. Food safety testing plays a crucial role in this system. It acts as the “eyes and ears” of the food chain by providing information about the quality and safety of food. This information helps governments, companies, and regulators make decisions that protect public health and maintain trust in food markets. In this thesis, I focus on improving how we detect mycotoxins, which are harmful substances produced by fungi. These toxins commonly contaminate crops and food products and are very difficult to completely prevent. Because of this, reliable detection methods are essential. Traditionally, food safety testing is done in laboratories using advanced analytical methods. While these methods are accurate, they are often time-consuming, expensive, and require specialized equipment and trained personnel. Recently, there has been a growing interest in making food testing more portable and accessible, so that it can be done directly in the field, during production, or at storage sites. For such portable testing to work well, it is important that the methods are simple, fast, and easy to use. One promising technology for this is infrared (IR) spectroscopy, which uses light to measure the chemical composition of materials. IR spectroscopy is already widely used to assess food quality and can be applied in real time during production. However, detecting mycotoxins with IR spectroscopy is challenging. These toxins are often present in very low concentrations, making them difficult to measure directly in foods with sufficient accuracy. This is why the thesis is called “Detecting the Undetectable”. In this work, IR spectroscopy is explored in depth to see how it can be improved or adapted to directly detect mycotoxins in food. In addition, 3D-printing technologies are explored to provide a complete sample-to-result workflow that allows for user-friendly sample preparation. The ultimate goal is to contribute to portable, easier, and more widely available food safety testing methods, helping to better protect consumers around the world.