Abstract: Foodborne pathogens such as biotoxins, pathogenic bacteria, and viruses are widely present in foods, which pose a serious threat to human health. These contaminants have a wide range of transmission and are difficult to control, so they need rigorous monitoring. Developing rapid, high-throughput, simple and economical detection methods is the best choice to replace traditional instrumental methods. In this context, the development of antibodies for use as key components of immunoassays, a widely used detection method, becomes particularly important. Genetically engineered antibodies, a new type of recognition elements, have emerged in recent decades with significant advantages such as low cost, high specificity, and easy availability, gradually replacing traditional antibodies and offering new hope for on-site immunological testing in food safety. This article summarizes the preparation and expression systems of genetically engineered antibodies and focuses on the point-of-care testing (POCT) methods based on these antibodies for microbial contamination in foods. Additionally, it overviews future trends in the application of genetically engineered antibodies in detecting food microbial contamination, highlights their important status and broad prospects in the field of on-site detection.

Key words: genetically engineered antibody; microbial contamination; immunoassay; point-of-care testing; food safety