Research Progress on the Application of Upconversion Nanoparticles in Heavy Metal Detection in Foodstuff

Heavy metal contamination in foodstuff poses a serious threat to food safety and human health; therefore, the development of toxic heavy metal detection methods is crucial. However, lots of these methods, based on traditional nanomaterials, have unavoidable limitations, such as high instrument cost, complicated operation procedures, or a long analysis time, which restrict their wide application in heavy metal detection. This review aims to conduct a systematic overview of major analytical methods using novel upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) for assessing heavy metal ions in complex food matrices in the context of food safety and show their potential application prospects when combined with big data and artificial intelligence. Due to their unique optical properties, good bio-compatibility, and tunable interfacial chemistry, UCNPs have shown significant detection advantages in the field of food heavy metal analysis. The review summarizes the progress of the application of UCNPs in heavy metal detection in food. Despite the development of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, and the continuous optimization and improvement of its own design, the wide application of UCNPs in food safety detection still has great potential for further development.