LAUSR

Abstract As a new class of fluorescent nanoparticles, carbon dots have potential to replace semiconductor quantum dots due to their excellent optical properties, good biocompatibility, low toxicity, facile synthesis, low cost and easy functionalization. By virtue of characteristics mentioned above, carbon dots-based fluorescent probes showed great potential in the field of food analysis. In this paper, we reviewed the production of carbon dots, their properties and applications in food analysis such as food additives detection, metal ion monitoring, food borne pathogens detection, organic pollutants and food nutritional components analysis. The challenges and perspectives of carbon dots in this exciting and promising field were also discussed.