Abstract: Foods are susceptible to fungal infection in the process of storage, transportation, and processing. Mycotoxins, produced by fungal metabolism, are serious food pollutants and can cause serious food safety problems. Most of the traditional analytical methods for the detection of mycotoxins need large-scale precision instruments or equipment, cumbersome operation steps, and professional workers, which limits the application of these methods in on-site detection to a large extent. Portable sensors which allow users to monitor mycotoxin contamination in real time with miniaturized equipment have been developed. They have the advantages of simple operation, user friendliness, rapidity and high sensitivity, making them popular among researchers. This paper reviews the application and prospects of test strips, personal glucose meters, handheld pH meters, pressure meters, smartphones, microfluidic chips and portable biosensors based on visualization, electrochemistry, plasma and other signal output in the detection of mycotoxins. We anticipate that this review will cause more researchers to devote themselves to the development of new portable biosensors for the detection of mycotoxins to ensure food safety and human health.

Key words: portable; biosensor; mycotoxin; on-site detection