Ensuring the safety and integrity of food and beverages is paramount for safeguarding public health, as contamination with pathogens, toxins, and chemical residues poses significant risks. Conventional diagnostic techniques for detecting contaminants are often resource-intensive, time-consuming, and reliant on sophisticated instrumentation, making them less feasible for widespread or routine deployment. In this regard, paper-based analytical devices (PADs) have emerged as a cutting-edge, cost-efficient, and portable solution for rapid, on-site food safety monitoring. This chapter delves into the utilization of PADs for the detection of hazardous agents, including foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus spp., and viruses like Norovirus. Moreover, PADs have demonstrated efficacy in identifying toxins (e.g., mycotoxins, aflatoxins) and chemical pollutants such as nitrites and nitrates in food and water. These devices leverage colorimetric and electrochemical reactions, enabling straightforward, real-time analyses without the need for complex laboratory setups. Their portability and cost-effectiveness make PADs highly suitable for application in resource-constrained environments and regions lacking access to advanced diagnostic infrastructure. Although PADs provide a range of benefits, challenges in improving sensitivity and enabling multiplex detection remain. Future developments are anticipated to concentrate on enhancing the analytical performance of PADs and incorporating digital platforms for data analysis, thereby broadening their contributions to food safety and public health protection.