A comprehensive review on niclosamide detection in foodstuffs and pharmaceutical preparations: Diverse analytical approaches and emerging techniques

Niclosamide (NIC), a widely recognized antiparasitic and anthelmintic agent, plays a critical role in aquaculture and livestock breeding, particularly in controlling parasitic growth and schistosomiasis, endorsed by the WHO as an essential molluscicide. However, excessive use has led to NIC residues in animal products and environmental sources, posing significant health risks. The detection of NIC residues in food products has thus become essential to safeguarding public health. This review provides a detailed overview of NIC regulatory residue limits and the associated health risks of NIC residue in food sources. In addition, it delves into various established detection methods, critically evaluating their strengths and limitations. The evaluation seeks to improve food product safety and monitoring by emphasising important methodologies and suggesting improvements in detection efficiency and accuracy. Lastly, future perspectives for the advancement of sophisticated analytical techniques are examined, providing information on how NIC detection techniques may change in response to escalating safety requirements.