**Author details**

**Parameter Definition Calculated as Value (%)**

**Table 3.** Evaluation of LFIAs performances on 40 milk samples: 16 negatives, 16 positives and 8 uncertain. The AFM1 reference content was determined by an ELISA kit [19]. Abbreviations used: tp, truly positive (AFM1 below 30 ng l-1); tn, truly negative (AFM1 above 70 ng l-1); tu, truly uncertain (AFM1 between 30 and 70 ng l-1); fn, false negative; fp, false positive; fun, false uncertain and known to be negative; fup, false uncertain and known to be positive.

Finally, the stability of the overall device at room temperature was evaluated as the possibil‐ ity of correctly measuring samples contaminated at low (<30 ng l-1) and high levels (> 70 ng


Despite LFIAs still being regarded in some ways as an emerging and incoming technology for food safety monitoring, there are several examples of fully developed devices described in the literature and also available as commercial kits for detecting a variety of natural and xenobi‐ otic contaminants. Annual updates of state-of-the-art techniques underline the growing inter‐ est in the field and the increasing relevance of this technology over more established screening techniques. Not with standing the research is conditioned by the attainment of effectively functioning devices, often at the expense of true innovation, except in a few rare cases.

The literature concerning lateral flow immunoassays for aflatoxins is stilllimited, partly be‐ cause the subject is very recent; indeed, the first published work on this topic dates back to just adecade ago. From this pioneering approach, several papers have been published which describes devices mainly aimed at measuring aflatoxin B1. The use of LFDs for aflatoxin de‐ termination in nuts has also been demonstrated, even if the principal application is repre‐ sented by their use to monitor aflatoxin contamination in cereals and derived products. This can be explained by the fact that research in this field is strongly driven by industry and by

tp / (tp + fn + fup) 81.3

tn / (tn + fp + fun) 100.0

tu / (tu + fun + fup) 62.5

fn / (tn + fn + fun) 0

fp / (tp + fp + fup) 0

fu / (tu + fun + fup) 37.5

Sensitivity truly positive / known

332 Aflatoxins - Recent Advances and Future Prospects

Selectivity truly negative / known

Efficiency truly uncertain / known

False compliant rate false negative / known

False noncompliant rate false positive / known

False non-attributable rate false uncertain / known

could not be confirmed for periods longer than a month.

l

**4. Conclusions**

positive

negative

uncertain

negative

positive

uncertain

Laura Anfossi\* , Claudio Baggiani, Cristina Giovannoli and Gianfranco Giraudi

\*Address all correspondence to: laura.anfossi@unito.it

Department of Chemistry, University of Turin, Giraudi
