Natural pigment-based smart packaging films for real-time food spoilage monitoring: Compositions, color-changing mechanisms, applications, and challenges

IF 8.5 1区农林科学 Q1 FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Food Packaging and Shelf Life Pub Date : 2025-03-27 DOI:10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101484

Weidong Zhang, Wendong Liu, Xin Qi, Yi Chen, Qiang Yu, Mingyue Shen, Huiliang Wen, Jianhua Xie

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Real-time monitoring of food spoilage remains a significant challenge, driving the urgent demand for smart packaging solutions. Natural pigments like anthocyanins, curcumin, alizarin, shikonin, and betalains demonstrate robust bioactivity and excellent pH sensitivity. Notably, these compounds serve a dual function: inhibiting bacterial growth and dynamically indicating food freshness. Therefore, their integration as freshness indicators in smart packaging films has garnered substantial research interest. This review consolidates current studies to analyze the structural composition, color-changing mechanisms (particularly the formation processes of volatile substances), and the application prospects of natural pigment pH-sensitive films. More importantly, it critically discusses limitations and challenges in existing research, including the barriers hindering their transition from laboratory-scale development to industrial production, while proposing actionable strategies to overcome these obstacles. By synthesizing these insights, this review aims to advance the development of natural pigment-based smart packaging films and address existing challenges and research limitations.

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来源期刊

Food Packaging and Shelf Life Agricultural and Biological Sciences-Food Science

CiteScore

14.00

自引率

8.80%

发文量

214

审稿时长

70 days

期刊介绍： Food packaging is crucial for preserving food integrity throughout the distribution chain. It safeguards against contamination by physical, chemical, and biological agents, ensuring the safety and quality of processed foods. The evolution of novel food packaging, including modified atmosphere and active packaging, has extended shelf life, enhancing convenience for consumers. Shelf life, the duration a perishable item remains suitable for sale, use, or consumption, is intricately linked with food packaging, emphasizing its role in maintaining product quality and safety.