Novel electrochemical sensors for real-time antioxidant profiling in foods: Recent advances, industrial applications, and future perspectives

Antioxidants play a vital role in food stability and health benefits, creating strong demand for rapid, sensitive, and real-time analytical methods. Traditional spectrophotometric assays such as DPPH, FRAP, and ORAC, though widely used, suffer from limitations including long reaction times, reagent instability, and poor compatibility with in-line processing. This review highlights recent advances (2015–2025) in electrochemical sensor technologies for antioxidant profiling across diverse food matrices. We discuss key developments in nanomaterial-based voltammetric sensors, enzyme biosensors, and molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) platforms, focusing on improvements in sensitivity, selectivity, and matrix adaptability. Case studies involving juices, oils, wines, and herbal extracts illustrate the practical application of these sensors in real food systems and their potential to supplement or replace traditional methods in quality control. Special attention is given to green analytical principles, disposable sensor formats, and integration with smart packaging and IoT systems. Electrochemical techniques consistently demonstrate advantages in speed, environmental sustainability, and industrial applicability. Challenges such as electrode fouling and cross-reactivity are addressed with emerging solutions like antifouling coatings and multiplexed detection. Overall, this review positions electrochemical sensors as promising tools for next-generation food analysis aligned with industrial and regulatory demands. • Electrochemical sensors offer rapid, real-time analysis of food antioxidants. • Nanomaterials enhance sensitivity for polyphenol and vitamin detection. • Sensors outperform conventional assays in speed, portability, and ecology. • Laccase and tyrosinase biosensors enable selective antioxidant profiling. • Applications cover oil stability, juice quality, wine, and smart packaging.