Food Safety Analysis Research Articles

Optimization of cotton SERS substrates based on different weave structures for surface trace detection

Cotton fabrics have been used to fabricate Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates due to their excellent properties such as flexibility, hygroscopicity, and large-scale production. The morphology of the SERS substrate has a great influence on the deposition of noble metal nanoparticles and affects the Raman-enhanced signal. Although numerous research reports have been conducted on SERS substrates made from cotton, there has been limited exploration on the impact of the weave structure of cotton fabric on SERS performance. Herein, the cotton SERS substrates were prepared by depositing silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on cotton fabrics with different weave structures by a simple vacuum-thermal evaporation method. The influence of substrate morphology on the deposition arrangement of Ag NPs and the enhancement of SERS performance was explored. The analysis findings demonstrate that the cotton SERS substrate displays exceptional Raman signal enhancement performance. Thereinto, the satin SERS substrate exhibited a stronger Raman signal due to its smoother surface favoring the deposition of Ag NPs. The limit of detection for p-aminothiophenol (PATP) was established at a low of 10−8 M, with an RSD value of 9.96%. Moreover, the satin SERS substrate demonstrated an enhancement factor of 5.18×105. In addition, it has excellent mechanical flexibility and good hygroscopicity, and thiram on the apple surface can be detected by simple wiping. Cotton SERS substrates show great potential in food safety analysis and monitoring. More importantly, this study provides assistance for the selection of SERS substrates for traditional cotton fabrics, and further promotes the broadening of the application fields of smart cotton fabrics.

Engineering of a DNAzyme-Based dimeric G-quadruplex rolling circle amplification for robust analysis of lead ion

Detecting heavy metal pollution, particularly lead ion (Pb2⁺) contamination, is imperative for safeguarding public health. In this study, we introduced an innovative approach by integrating DNAzyme with rolling circle amplification (RCA) to propose an amplification sensing method termed DNAzyme-based dimeric-G-quadruplex (dimer-G4) RCA. This sensing approach allows for precise and high-fidelity Pb2⁺ detection. Strategically, in the presence of Pb2⁺, the DNAzyme undergoes substrate strand (S-DNA) cleavage, liberating its enzyme strand (E-DNA) to prime isothermal amplification. This initiates the RCA process, producing numerous dimer-G-Quadruplexes (dimer-G4) as the signal reporting transducers. Compared to conventional strategies using monomeric G-quadruplex (mono-G4) as the reporting transducers, these dimer-G4 structures exhibit significantly enhanced fluorescence when bound with Thioflavin T (ThT), offering superior target signaling ability for even detection of Pb2⁺ at low concentration. Conversely, in the absence of Pb2⁺, the DNAzyme structure remains intact so that no primers can be produced to cause the RCA initiation. This nucleic acid amplification-based Pb2⁺ detection method combing with the high specificity of DNAzymes for Pb2⁺ recognition ensures highly sensitive detection of Pb2+ with a detection limit of 0.058 nM, providing a robust tool for food safety analysis and environmental monitoring.

ULASAN SISTEMATIK KEATAS PENGAPLIKASIAN BIOPENDERIA BERASASKAN PERENCATAN ENZIM SEBAGAI KAEDAH SARINGAN AWAL UNTUK PEMANTAUAN ALAM SEKITAR DAN KESELAMATAN MAKANANEMANTAUAN ALAM SEKITAR DAN KESELAMATAN MAKANAN

In this article, the latest discoveries in the development of biosensors based on enzyme inhibition are reviewed. Due to their excellent selectivity and sensitivity, they represent a significant alternative method to conventional analytical methods; which is a method of analysis that only relies on the generation of instrumentation data without any preliminary screening. Basically, biosensors are able to convert biological activity into a quantifiable signal. These enzyme inhibition-based biosensors have a wide range of applications in the fields of environmental safety, food safety, and clinical analysis since toxic substances containing heavy metals and pesticides are the most effective inhibitors of enzymes. This paper is aimed at exploring the methods used and the sensitivity to various inhibitors for biosensors based on the inhibition of enzymes such as glucose oxidase, urease, tyrosinase, cholinesterase, and other enzymes.

A Molecularly Imprinted Fluorescence Sensor Based on Upconversion-Nanoparticle-Grafted Covalent Organic Frameworks for Specific Detection of Methimazole

Rapid detection and sensitive analysis of MMZ is of great importance for food safety. Herein, a fluorescent molecularly imprinted sensor based on upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) grafted onto covalent organic frameworks (COFs) was designed for the detection of MMZ. COFs with a high specific surface area and excellent affinity serve as substrates for grafting of UCNPs, which can inhibit the aggregation burst of UCNPs and improve the mass transfer rate of the sensor. Through a series of characterizations, it was found that the proposed UCNP-grafted COFs@MIP-based sensor had good optical stability, high adsorption efficiency, strong anti-interference ability, and high sensitivity owing to the integration of the advantages of UCNPs, COFs and MIPs. Under the optimal conditions, a good linear relationship was presented between the fluorescence intensity of UCNP-grafted COFs@MIPs and the methimazole concentration in the range of 0.05–3 mg L−1, and the detection limit was 3 μg L−1. The as-prepared UCNP-grafted COFs@MIPs were successfully applied for the detection of MMZ in actual samples, and the results were relevant with those determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The sensor has good sensitivity, reusability, and high selectivity, which are highly valuable in the rapid analysis and detection of food safety.

Guidelines for Raman spectroscopy and imaging techniques in food safety analysis

AbstractEnsuring the highest standards of food quality and safety is crucial for maintaining human health. This requires the creation of sophisticated and highly sensitive techniques for detecting and identifying food pollutants. Raman spectroscopy, known for its rapidity, simplicity, sensitivity, and noninvasive characteristics, has become a prominent method in the field of food safety and quality analysis. This review discusses in detail the fundamental principles, instruments, methodology, and data processing techniques of Raman spectroscopy. It specifically emphasizes the practical applications of Raman spectroscopy in assessing foodborne pathogens, toxic gases in spoiled foods, and monitoring the translocation of pesticide in plants. Finally, we discussed the development trend and challenges of Raman spectroscopy in the field of food safety analysis, aiming to provide an accessible and practical guide. This review article equips readers with essential insights into conducting and understanding Raman spectroscopy experiments, thereby contributing to development in the field of food safety analysis.

Analysis of Potential Risks Food Safety and Halal Standards in Food Industry (Case Study of Wafer Production Process)

One of the factors that determines the competitiveness of a food product is the quality assurance of food safety and halal. Consuming unsafe food can endanger the health and lives of consumers. Until now, the distribution of unsafe and non-halal food is still a problem for Indonesia. This research aims to determine the implementation of food safety and halal systems in companies. This research was carried out by conducting interviews with employees. Alternative strategies and risk controls are selected based on 5W + 1H. The research results show that the efforts made by the company to improve food safety and halal in the wafer manufacturing process are the implementation of the HACCP system and the Halal Product Guarantee System. The results of observations on the implementation of HACCP show that companies must always monitor the operation of the HACCP system in the production area to improve food quality and safety.

Biomonitoring of mercury and selenium in commercially important shellfish: Distribution pattern, health benefit assessment and consumption advisories.

This study aims to explore the concentrations of Se and Hg in shellfish along the Gulf of Mannar (GoM) coast (Southeast India) and to estimate related risks and risk-based consumption limits for children, pregnant women, and adults. Se concentrations in shrimp, crab, and cephalopods ranged from 0.256 to 0.275mgkg-1, 0.182 to 0.553mgkg-1, and 0.176 to 0.255mgkg-1, respectively, whereas Hg concentrations differed from 0.009 to 0.014mgkg-1, 0.022 to 0.042mgkg-1 and 0.011 to 0.024mgkg-1, respectively. Se and Hg content in bamboo shark (C. griseum) was 0.242mgkg-1 and 0.082mgkg-1, respectively. The lowest and highest Se concentrations were found in C. indicus (0.176mgkg-1) and C. natator (0.553mgkg-1), while Hg was found high in C. griseum (0.082mgkg-1) and low in P. vannamei (0.009mgkg-1). Se shellfishes were found in the following order: crabs > shrimp > shark > cephalopods, while that of Hg were shark > crabs > cephalopods > shrimp. Se in shellfish was negatively correlated with trophic level (TL) and size (length and weight), whereas Hg was positively correlated with TL and size. Hg concentrations in shellfish were below the maximum residual limits (MRL) of 0.5mgkg-1 for crustaceans and cephalopods set by FSSAI, 0.5mgkg-1 for crustaceans and 1.0mgkg-1 for cephalopods and sharks prescribed by the European Commission (EC/1881/2006). Se risk-benefit analysis, the AI (actual intake):RDI (recommended daily intake) ratio was > 100%, and the AI:UL (upper limit) ratio was < 100%, indicating that all shellfish have sufficient level of Se to meet daily requirements without exceeding the upper limit (UL). The target hazard quotient (THQ < 1) and hazard index (HI < 1) imply that the consumption of shellfish has no non-carcinogenic health impacts for all age groups. However, despite variations among the examined shellfish, it was consistently observed that they all exhibited a Se:Hg molar ratio > 1. This finding implies that the consumption of shellfish is generally safe in terms of Hg content. The health benefit indexes, Se-HBV and HBVse, consistently showed high positive values across all shellfish, further supporting the protective influence of Se against Hg toxicity and reinforcing the overall safety of shellfish consumption. Enhancing comprehension of food safety analysis, it is crucial to recognize that the elevated Se:Hg ratio in shellfish may be attributed to regular selenoprotein synthesis and the mitigation of Hg toxicity by substituting Se bound to Hg.

Terpenes based hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents for dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction of aliphatic aldehydes in drinking water and alcoholic beverages

Aliphatic aldehydes are a class of organic compounds containing aldehyde groups, which are widespread, and closely related to people's daily life and health. In this work, a series of terpenes based hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents were designed and synthesized using hexafluoroisopropanol as hydrogen bond donor and menthol/thymol as hydrogen bond acceptor. Then they are used as extraction solvent in dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for extracting and determining seven aliphatic aldehydes from drinking water and alcoholic beverage combined with high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet. Due to the fact that these hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents are liquid at the room temperature, a density greater than that of water, a lower viscosity (≤26.10 mPa s, 25 °C), after extraction and centrifugation, the microvolume DES-rich phase in the bottom is convenient for collection and direct analysis without further dissolution or dilution with organic solvents. Some factors affecting the extraction recovery were optimized by one-variable-at-a-time and response surface methodology. Under the optimal conditions, the enrichment factors for the seven aliphatic aldehydes were 48–56. The method had good performance: linear ranges of 1.0–200, 0.5–200, 0.2–200, 0.4–400, 1.0–400, 0.4–400 and 0.4–400 μg L−1 for seven aliphatic aldehydes (r2 ≥ 0.9949), limits of detection of 0.1–0.5 μg L−1, intra-day and inter-day precisions <4.9%. The recoveries of seven aliphatic aldehydes ranged from 76.0 to 119.0%. The proposed dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method is simple, rapid, highly efficient, and green, which effectively reduces the amount of toxic chemical reagents used and their impact on the environment. Rapid and efficient detection of aliphatic aldehydes helps ensure a healthy diet and has great application prospects in food safety analysis.

A novel premixing strategy for highly sensitive detection of nitrite on paper-based analytical devices

BackgroundNitrite has been involved in many food processing techniques and its excessive consumption is closely related to the development of different diseases. Therefore, highly sensitive detection of nitrite is significant to ensure food safety. ResultThis study presents a simple and novel strategy for the highly sensitive detection of nitrite in food using paper-based analytical devices (PADs). In this proposed strategy, the nitrite present in the sample undergoes efficient diazotization when initially mixed with sulfanilamide solution before reacting with N-(1-naphthyl) ethylenediamine dihydrochloride (NED) coated on the detection region of the PAD, leading to the maximum production of colored azo compounds. Specifically, within the concentration range of 0.1–20 mg/L, the LOD and LOQ for the nitrite assay using the premixing strategy are determined as 0.053 mg/L and 0.18 mg/L, respectively which significantly surpass the corresponding values of 0.18 mg/L (LOD) and 0.61 mg/L (LOQ) achieved with the regular Griess reagent analysis. SignificanceThe study highlights the critical importance of the premixing strategy in nitrite detection. Under optimized conditions, the strategy demonstrates an excellent limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for nitrite detection in eight different meat samples. In addition to its high precision, the strategy is applicable in the field of nitrite analysis. This strategy could facilitate rapid and cost-effective nitrite analysis in real food samples, ensuring food safety and quality analysis.

Recent advances in magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers and their application in the food safety analysis

Recent advances in magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers and their application in the food safety analysis

A stable and flexible Au@Ag NPs/PVA SERS platform for thiram residue detection on rough surface

Flexible and transparent surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates have gained great attention in analysis field as they offer a fast, non-destructive, and highly sensitive platform for in-situ detection. In this work, we present a facile one-pot strategy for synthesizing gold-cored silver shell nanoparticles (Au@Ag NPs) in the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) colloid. With no other reducing agents, PVA can serve as both reducing and stabilizing agents for forming Au@Ag NPs. Besides, PVA act as a scaffold to maintain SERS “hot-spots” by preventing nanoparticle aggregation. By using this flexible Au@Ag NPs/PVA colloid, the analytes can be extracted from rough surfaces for SERS measurements with excellent sensitivity, repeatability and stability. The SERS activity of the Au@Ag NPs/PVA remained at 89.8% even after 120 days of storage at room temperature in sealed air atmosphere. The selective detection of thiram residues on the surface of fruits and vegetables was successfully achieved. The limits of detection for thiram residues on apple and tomato surfaces were measured to be 0.58 and 0.56 ng cm−2, respectively, with recovery rate ranging from 91% to 107%. This work demonstrates the immense application potential of SERS colloid platform in the fields of food safety and environmental analysis.

Integrating liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection-surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy on microfluidic chip for phenylurea herbicides analysis

The widespread use of phenylurea herbicides (PHs) is a serious threat to human health and environmental safety. These pollutants usually have similar molecular structures but distinct toxicities. Therefore, developing rapid detection methods to analyze PHs quantitatively and qualitatively is highly desirable. This study fabricated a microfluidic glass liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with electrochemical detection (ECD) and Surface-Enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) synchronous system, which demonstrated excellent separation and analysis performance for PHs. The complete separation of three PHs could be achieved using the microfluidic chip LC with a theoretical plate number of 342525 plates m–1. The limit of detection (LOD) of the PHs for optimized electrochemical analysis reached 0.0099–0.1388 mmol/L. More importantly, the detection system integrated with ECD and SERS had high sensitivity and molecular recognition ability, with intra and inter-day precision of less than 6.7630% and 7.5601%, respectively. The recovery of the PHs could reach 102.9861% when this detection system was applied to the analysis of soil extracts in the small potted plant and actual water samples in the environment. It is expected that the microfluidic chip with the LC-ECD-SERS synchronous detection system has significant potential in various environmental, food safety, drug, and biomedical analyses.

Blockchain technology design based on food safety and halal risk analysis in the beef supply chain with FMEA-FTA

Beef has an important role in the health of the body. Food safety and halal are the main factors for consumers in purchasing beef. However, in reality, several activities in the beef supply chain result in status changes to be unsafe and not halal for consumption. This occurs due to weak food safety and halal supervision in the beef supply chain system. Therefore, this study proposes the use of blockchain technology to strengthen the food safety and halal supervision system in the beef supply chain. The objectives of this study are (1) to identify food safety and halal risk factors, and (2) to develop a blockchain technology design for mitigating food safety and halal risks in the beef supply chain. This research uses the FMEA method to measure risks and FTA for risk analysis. The results showed that 30 risks were identified in the beef supply chain. The highest risk is the absence of a halal certificate on the product. The 30 risks are grouped into 4 risks that are included in extreme priority risk, 11 risks in high priority risk, 4 risks in moderate risk, and 11 risks as acceptable risk. Based on these results, the role of blockchain technology to minimize risk is in the flow of data, and transactions will be easier to track, more transparent, and safer to use as part of the control and supervision system for food safety and halal standards in the beef supply chain. This research has implications for transparency in the supply chain, the accuracy of product track records, prevention of food poisoning, improving halal compliance, risk management and thus increasing consumer confidence.

Pick-and-eat space crop production flight testing on the International Space Station

ABSTRACT Fresh, nutritious, palatable produce for crew consumption on long-duration spaceflight missions may provide health-promoting, bioavailable nutrients and enhance the dietary experience. VEG-04A and VEG-04B explored growing leafy greens on the International Space Station using the Veggie Vegetable Production System. Two flight tests with ground controls were conducted in 2019 growing mizuna mustard, where Veggie chambers were set to different red-to-blue-to-green light formulations. Light quality affects plant growth, nutrition, microbiology, and organoleptic characteristics on Earth, and we examined how these vary in microgravity and under different harvest scenarios. Astronauts harvested and weighed mizuna and completed organoleptic evaluations. Flight samples were returned to Earth for nutritional quality and microbial food safety analyses. Yield and chemistry differed between ground and flight samples and light treatments, and bacterial and fungal counts were lower in ground than in flight samples. This research helps increase our understanding of the requirements for growing high-quality crops in spaceflight.

Ecological risks assessment of fishery commodities from heavy metal in The East Java Province, Indonesia

Heavy metals are a crucial group of chemicals extensively used in materials to meet human needs, eventually leading to contamination of aquatic ecosystems and accumulation in organism’s tissues. Heavy metals enter the aquatic ecosystem from various sources. Those metals that pollute aquatic waters are deposited in sediments, remain dissolved in water or accumulate in the food web of aquatic organisms. Benthic biota is believed to accumulate the highest levels of these metals, while other aquatic animals, such as fish, shrimp, and macroalgae, serve as significant sources of heavy metals intake through food and the environmental exposure. Ina study conducted in and around the east Java, Indonesia, the concentration of heavy metals in commercially important fish species, shellfish, and macroalgae were evaluated using an inductive couple plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). This study is very important because fishery resources are not only vital for exports but also serve as a primary source of essential food for local communities. The results showed that heavy metal concentration (Pb, Cd, and Hg) in samples were 12.3 mg∙dm –3, 0.171 mg∙dm –3, and undetectable, respectively. This study showed that different metals were present in the samples at different levels, all of which fell within the maximum residual levels set by the EU and USFDA. The results of an analysis of food safety based on the Hazard Index showed values below 1 point, indicating that fishery products (fish, shrimp, and macroalgae) from the East Java Province are generally safe for human consumption.

Rapid Detection and Identification of Vancomycin-Sensitive Bacteria Using an Electrochemical Apta-Sensor.

In order to combat the complex and diverse infections caused by bacteria, it is essential to develop efficient diagnostic tools. Current techniques for bacterial detection rely on laborious multistep procedures, with high costs and extended time of analysis. To overcome these limitations, we propose here a novel portable electrochemical biosensor for the rapid detection and identification of Gram-positive bacteria that leverages the recognition capabilities of vancomycin and aptamers. A vancomycin-modified screen-printed carbon electrode was used to selectively capture Gram-positive bacteria susceptible to this antibiotic. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that capture was achieved in 10 min, with a limit of detection of only 2 CFU/mL. We then tested the device's potential for aptamer-based bacterial identification using Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus as the test strains. Specifically, electrodes with captured bacteria were exposed to species-specific aptamers, and the resulting changes in current intensity were analyzed using differential pulse voltammetry. When used directly in untreated milk or serum, the system was able to successfully identify a small amount of S. aureus and B. cereus (100 CFU/mL) in less than 45 min. This novel biosensor has the potential to serve as an invaluable tool that could be used, even by inexperienced staff, in a broad range of settings including clinical diagnostics, food safety analysis, environmental monitoring, and security applications.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering using flower-like Ag/ZnO as active substrates for the label-free and sensitive detection of rhodamine 6G and melamine.

The reliable and accurate detection of unauthorized additives in food is significant to prevent health risks. In recent years, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with fast, simple, and sensitive capabilities has been widely used for food safety analysis. In order to detect illegally added dye molecule rhodamine 6G and small molecule melamine in food, we have proposed a fast, convenient, and label-free SERS detection technology using flower-like Ag/ZnO as the SERS substrate. The structure and morphology of the flower-like Ag/ZnO were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometery, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. We investigated the SERS effect and sensitivity of flower-like Ag/ZnO toward rhodamine 6G and melamine. The synergistic effect of flower-like Ag/ZnO provides high SERS activity for the detection of rhodamine 6G and melamine at the lowest detection concentrations of 0.5 ng mL-1 and 1.0 ng mL-1, respectively. Therefore, flower-like Ag/ZnO with good sensitivity and uniformity has potential for improving the detection of illegal food additives.

Food Safety Analysis Of Smoked Scad Fish (Decapterus spp) In Lamomea Village, Konda District, South Konawe Regency

Smoked fish is one of the processed fishery products which is quite popular with the community, one of which is in Lamomea Village, Konda District, South Konawe Regency. The smoked product is generally liked by the public because of its distinctive savory taste, delicious aroma, affordable price, and is available at any time. This research aims to determine the process of making smoked scad fish (Decapterus spp), the proximate levels of scad fish (Decapterus spp) and to determine the total microbes in smoked scad fish (Decapterus spp). This study used a completely randomized design to look at the levels of proximate, total microbes and formalin in smoked scad fish (Decapterus spp) in sample A and sample B to look at the process of making smoked scad fish (Decapterus spp), levels of proximate and total microbes in smoked scad fish (Decapterus spp). Decapterus spp). The results show that the proximate content, namely water content, shows results in sample A with a value of 56.24 ± 0.91, while for sample B with a value of 41.26 ± 1.15, protein content in sample A with a value of 30.13 ± 0.56 and sample B 43.09 ± 2.33 fat content in sample A with a value of 4.08 ± 0.06 and sample B with a value of 4.08 ± 0.05 and ash content with a value of 7.97 ± 0.36 and in sample B with a value of 8.28 ± 0.87, the results of proximate levels in smoked scad fish (Decapterus spp) are in accordance with the SNI 2725:2013 standard. The total microbial results for smoked scad fish (Decapterus spp) in sample A showed a result of 9.3 × 103 col/g while for sample B the value was 2.8 × 103 col/g. This value shows that the average total plate number in smoked fish samples A and B are still in accordance with the requirements of SNI 2332.3: 2015. The results of formalin levels in smoked scad fish (Decapterus spp) obtained from quantitative analysis of formalin content in smoked scad fish were sample A 5,384 ppm and sample B 3,748 ppm.

Flexible nanoplasmonic sensor for multiplexed and rapid quantitative food safety analysis with a thousand-times sensitivity improvement

The accumulation of trace amounts of certain small molecules in food poses considerable human health challenges, including the potential for carcinogenesis and mutagenesis. Here, an ultrasensitive gold–platinum nanoflower-coupled metasurface plasmon resonance (MetaSPR) (APNMSPR) biosensor, based on a competitive immunoassay, was developed for the multiplexed and rapid quantitative analysis of trace small molecules in eggs, offering timely monitoring of food safety. This one-step biosensor can be integrated into either a newly designed detachable high-throughput MetaSPR chip-strip plate device or a standard 96-well plate for multiplexed small-molecule detection within a single egg. The limits of detection were 0.81, 1.12, and 1.74 ppt for florfenicol, fipronil, and enrofloxacin, respectively, demonstrating up to 1000-fold increased sensitivity and a 15-fold reduction in analysis time compared with those of traditional methods. The results obtained using the APNMSPR biosensor showed a strong correlation with those obtained using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The APNMSPR biosensor holds immense promise for the multiplexed, highly sensitive, and rapid quantitative analysis of small molecules for applications in food safety control, early diagnosis, and environmental monitoring.

High external quantum yield in near-infrared phosphor Bi2Ga4O9:Cr3+ excited by near-ultraviolet or blue light

The proliferation of portable and intelligent devices featuring Near-Infrared (NIR) light sources as a central component has resulted in a significant need for compact NIR light sources. The technique of NIR phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (NIR-pc-LEDs) could offer a fresh viewpoint on NIR light sources. The performance of NIR-pc-LEDs is directly influenced by NIR phosphors. However, the development of NIR phosphors with high external quantum yield (EQY) NIR phosphors has been hampered. In this work, we report a mullite-structure NIR phosphor, Bi2Ga4O9: Cr3+ (BGO), which exhibits excellent NIR luminescence properties. The emission spectrum of the optimal doped sample BGO:0.06Cr3+ has two emission peaks at 711 and 763 nm. All samples can be efficiently excited by commercial 365 nm near-ultraviolet LED chips and 450 nm blue LED chips. The internal quantum yield (IQY) reaches an astonishing value of 89.13 % and an EQY of about 65.36 % at 365 nm excitation. Furthermore, BGO:0.06Cr3+ shows a high IQY (∼87.78 %) and EQY (∼41.64 %) upon 450 nm excitation. Moreover, concerning thermal stability, the integrated photoluminescence intensity remains at 82 % and 42 % of that at room temperature when measured at 373 K and 423 K, respectively. The capsuled NIR-pc-LED device can be utilized for blood veins imaging, food safety analysis, and information encryption. These results highlight the promising commercial prospects of BGO:0.06Cr3+ in the fields of bio-imaging and non-destructive testing, among others.