Phenolic Antioxidants in Food: A Comparative Review of Chromatographic, Spectroscopic, and Electrochemical Detection Methods

The detection of phenolic antioxidants in food is essential for ensuring food safety. Chromatographic analysis, spectroscopic analysis, and electrochemical detection are three mainstream techniques widely applied for qualitative and quantitative analysis of antioxidants in complex matrices. However, existing reviews mostly focus on single techniques, lack systematic cross-platform comparisons. This paper reviews the classification of phenolic antioxidants, summarizes recent advances in each detection technique, and provides a horizontal comparison in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, analytical efficiency, cost, and applicable scenarios. Chromatography remains the gold standard for confirmatory analysis, spectroscopy is suitable for rapid screening, and electrochemistry shows unique potential for on-site real-time monitoring. Each technique has distinct advantages and limitations, and their integration represents a promising direction for comprehensive food safety monitoring. Future development trends, including intelligence, portability, and multi-technique integration, are also discussed to guide practical method selection for food-safety detection.