In this work, a novel molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) with water-soluble CdTe quantum dots (QDs) was synthesized by oil-in-water Pickering emulsion polymerization using whole Listeria monocytogenes as the template. Listeria monocytogenes was first treated by acryloyl-functionalized chitosan with QDs to form a bacteria–chitosan network as the water phase. This was then stabilized in an oil-in-water emulsion comprising a cross-linker, monomer, and initiator, causing recognition sites on the surface of microspheres embedded with CdTe QDs. The resulting MIP microspheres enabled selective capture of the target bacteria via recognition cavities. The target bacteria Listeria monocytogenes was detected. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization showed that the MIPs had a rough spherical shape. There was visual fluorescence detection via quenching in the presence of the target molecule, which offered qualitative detection of Listeria monocytogenes in milk and pork samples. The developed method simplified the analysis process and did not require any sample pretreatment. In addition, the fluorescence sensor provided an effective, fast, and convenient method for Listeria monocytogenes detection in food samples.

2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenyl-imidazo [4,5-b] pyridine (PhIP) is a harmful compound that is formed during the high-temperature processing of meat products, and the risk of cancer may be increased with the prolonged intake of foods containing high levels of PhIP. This study aimed to develop an innovative detection method specifically for PhIP in meat products. Utilizing hydrogel-molecular-imprinting electrochemical sensing technology, the preparation conditions of molecularly imprinted hydrogels (MIHs) were optimized. Consequently, a highly selective and rapid detection method for PhIP was successfully established, integrated with an electrochemical workstation. The results indicate that the prepared MIHs exhibit an excellent specific recognition performance for PhIP. The sensor exhibited a linear response within the concentration range of 1.0–200.0 ng/mL, with a detection limit of 0.07 ng/mL (S/N = 3) under optimized conditions. In addition, the accuracy and reliability of the method were verified by spiked recovery experiments, and the recoveries ranged from 75.9% to 108.8%, which demonstrated its high accuracy and potential for practical application.