Sensors and Biosensors as Viable Alternatives in the Determination of Contaminants in Corn: A Review (2021–2025)

Corn is one of the most produced cereals in the world and exerts a significant economic impact on a billion-dollar market. It is utilized globally as a food source for humans and livestock and as a source of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and also for fuel production and industrial products. However, their production is adversely affected by chemical contamination, primarily by mycotoxins, pesticides, and trace elements. Sensors and biosensors have become reliable alternatives to traditional spectroscopic and chromatographic methods for detecting these substances to enhance processes from harvesting to consumption. Here, we thoroughly evaluated studies on sensors and biosensors as alternatives to the growing demand for the determination of these contaminants as point-of-care devices in the past five years. This review reports innovative systems, using cutting-edge technology in expanded interdisciplinary research, supported by computational simulations to elucidate the interaction/reaction prior to experimentation, exploring the latest developments in nanostructures to create devices with excellent analytical performance. Many systems meet the demands of multiple and simultaneous determinations with fast results, in loco analyses with portable devices connected to personal smartphones, and simple operations to assist farmers, producers, and consumers in monitoring product quality throughout each stage of corn production.