Food Packaging and Shelf Life最新文献

{"title":"Disrupting Aeromonas sobria quorum sensing with HNTs-zingerone embedded CS/CMC-Na film: A novel strategy for prolonging freshness of refrigerated sea bass fillets","authors":"Yanqing Li ,&nbsp;Xuchen Li ,&nbsp;Shaomei Li ,&nbsp;Jiao Li ,&nbsp;Xiang Zou ,&nbsp;Hongwei Zhan ,&nbsp;Guanyuan Qu ,&nbsp;Lixiu Zhang ,&nbsp;Yongjun Sun ,&nbsp;Wenming Ju ,&nbsp;Mengqi Ye ,&nbsp;Pengdong Sun ,&nbsp;Jingyuan Li ,&nbsp;Yang Deng ,&nbsp;Ting Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101597","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101597","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Aeromonas sobria</em>, recognized as a psychrotrophic specific spoilage organism in refrigerated aquatic products, facilitates its proliferation by metabolizing proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates, thereby generating spoilage-associated metabolites and compromising product quality. Quorum sensing (QS), a bacterial cell-to-cell communication mechanism, orchestrates the secretion of virulence and spoilage factors in <em>A. sobria</em> via the LuxI/R QS system. Targeting this regulatory pathway presents a novel strategy to mitigate spoilage and extend the shelf life of aquatic products. Previous studies have demonstrated that zingerone (ZRN) exhibits quorum-quenching activity at sub-inhibitory concentrations; however, its practical application is constrained by limited solubility and bioavailability. To overcome these challenges, ZRN was encapsulated within halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) and incorporated into a self-assembled composite film composed of chitosan (CS) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na). The fabricated film was characterized for its structural, thermal, and mechanical properties and subsequently evaluated for its preservation efficacy on refrigerated perch fillets. The composite film exhibited a homogeneous surface morphology with uniformly dispersed HNTs, alongside adequate thermal stability, tensile strength, and physicochemical attributes suitable for refrigerated aquatic product preservation. Notably, the film suppressed spoilage indicators, including total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and bacterial spoilage potential, without inhibiting <em>A. sobria</em> growth. Furthermore, it mitigated muscle tissue degradation and biogenic amine formation in perch fillets during refrigerated storage. Molecular docking simulations revealed that ZRN competitively binds to the LuxR-type receptor at the same binding pocket as the endogenous autoinducer C₄-HSL, thereby disrupting QS signaling. Collectively, this ZRN-loaded composite film represents a promising biodegradable packaging solution for enhancing the quality and shelf life of refrigerated aquatic foods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12377,"journal":{"name":"Food Packaging and Shelf Life","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 101597"},"PeriodicalIF":10.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144880118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Functional bioplastic films from cocoa shell cellulose and natural waxes: Toward sustainable active packaging","authors":"Sarmad Ahmad Qamar ,&nbsp;Simona Piccolella ,&nbsp;Gregory R. Ziegler ,&nbsp;Severina Pacifico ,&nbsp;Yi Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101595","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101595","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development of sustainable packaging materials from agro-industrial by-products supports the transition to a circular bio-economy and offers a viable alternative to petroleum-based plastics. Cocoa shells (CS), a by-product from the chocolate industry, are an abundant source of cellulose with limited industrial use. In this study, cellulose was extracted from CS and chemically converted into carboxymethyl cellulose (CS-CMC), which was then used to formulate bioplastic films plasticized with glycerol or sorbitol. To overcome the intrinsic hydrophilicity of CS-CMC-based materials and enhance their functional performance for food packaging, natural waxes (beeswax and carnauba wax) were applied to the film surface via spray coating in different ratios. Structural and morphological analyses (FTIR, SEM) confirmed wax deposition and modification of surface properties. The coated films showed significantly improved water resistance (contact angle &gt;125°), mechanical strength (up to 3.58 MPa), and reduced water vapor transmission. The optimal wax ratio (25:75 beeswax/carnauba) preserved the film biodegradability and cytocompatibility (HaCaT cells), and enhanced antioxidant activity, supporting their potential for active food contact applications. This work demonstrates a sustainable and scalable approach to valorize cocoa shell waste into biodegradable packaging films. The use of natural, food-safe waxes enables the design of active barrier films suitable for protecting moisture-sensitive food products, aligning environmental performance with practical packaging requirements.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12377,"journal":{"name":"Food Packaging and Shelf Life","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 101595"},"PeriodicalIF":10.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144880116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cellulose nanofiber/gelatin-based multifunctional ethylene scavenging active packaging films integrated with TiO2-functionalized Bi(III) metal-organic frameworks","authors":"Ajahar Khan ,&nbsp;Zohreh Riahi ,&nbsp;Su Jung Hong ,&nbsp;Jun Tae Kim ,&nbsp;Jong-Whan Rhim ,&nbsp;Sea C. Min","doi":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101596","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101596","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Functionalized Bi(III) metal-organic frameworks containing TiO₂ (Bi-MOF@Ti) were synthesized using a straightforward blending method and incorporated into cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and gelatin (Gel) films to enhance the preservability of bananas. The MOF particles and films were characterized through FE-SEM, FTIR, and XRD analyses, which confirmed the successful synthesis of Bi-MOF@Ti and the effective blending into the CNF/Gel matrix, respectively. The incorporation of Bi-MOF@Ti significantly improved antibacterial efficacy, reducing the UV transmittance of the films, which blocked UV-B and UV-A by 99.6 % and 97.8 %, respectively, while eliminating <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> and inhibiting the growth of <em>S. enterica</em>, <em>L. monocytogenes</em>, and <em>E. coli</em> by 90.2 %, 91.5 %, and 88.4 %, respectively. Furthermore, introducing Bi-MOF@Ti (4 wt% based on CNF and Gel) increased the tensile strength by up to 21.4 % and enhanced both the photocatalytic degradation of ethylene and the antioxidant activity (100 % radical scavenging of ABTS) of the CNF/Gel films. The CNF/Gel/Bi-MOF@Ti films effectively preserved bananas by maintaining their firmness, delaying yellowing, reducing weight loss, and extending their freshness by up to 10 days. These multifunctional properties illustrate the potential of this film as an eco-friendly active packaging solution to maintain the aesthetic quality of bananas and extend their shelf life by mitigating ethylene accumulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12377,"journal":{"name":"Food Packaging and Shelf Life","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 101596"},"PeriodicalIF":10.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144852777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nanostructural engineering of cellulose crystals in biomimetic polysaccharide matrix: Deciphering structure-function correlation of hydro-regulatory behavior and its functionalized design for strawberry shelf-life extension","authors":"Ruifeng Ying ,&nbsp;Ping Long ,&nbsp;Meigui Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101594","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101594","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Multilayer films were fabricated by mimicking the structure of wheat endosperm cell walls, using 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TCNFs) of varying sizes, arabinoxylan, and β-glucan. Results indicated that longer TCNFs enhanced thermal stability and mechanical properties, increasing tensile strength from 78 to 122 MPa. Longer TCNFs formed nanoporous structures facilitating water diffusion within the film network, improving hydrophilicity and breathability. In strawberry preservation tests, these films effectively inhibited color change, decay, and respiratory activity while maintaining phenolic/flavonoid content, extending shelf life to 12 days. The findings demonstrate that TCNF size modulates polysaccharide network structures, offering a biomimetic strategy for designing natural, high-performance food preservation films.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12377,"journal":{"name":"Food Packaging and Shelf Life","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 101594"},"PeriodicalIF":10.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antioxidant and antibacterial activities of chitosan/pullulan sustained-release coatings loaded with carvacrol microcapsules, and their application in fresh-cut green bell pepper preservation","authors":"Linna Wang,&nbsp;Hesheng Wang,&nbsp;Limin Guo,&nbsp;Qiyuan Feng,&nbsp;Miaole Zhang,&nbsp;Youwei Yu,&nbsp;Shaoying Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101592","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101592","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development of green, edible functional coating materials is crucial for addressing food safety issues. Traditional petroleum-based packaging materials, however, pose significant environmental pollution and resource waste due to their poor biodegradability. In this study, carvacrol (CA) encapsulated in β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to form microcapsules (CMP) was integrated with a polysaccharide base (CTS/PUL) to create CP-CMP edible coatings. The physicochemical properties and microstructure of these films were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Successful incorporation of CMP into the CP coating via hydrogen bonding was indicated by changes in functional group vibrations, enhancing the barrier and thermal stability of the CP-CMP coating. The antioxidant capabilities of the coating, demonstrated by high DPPH (80.49 %) and ABTS (89.40 %) radical scavenging activities, were remarkable. Furthermore, it significantly inhibited <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> and <em>Escherichia coli</em>. Applying the developed CP-CMP coating to fresh-cut green peppers extended shelf life from 8 days (control) to 12 days through dual actions: membrane-disrupting antimicrobial activity and integrated antioxidant functions that preserved color and retarded VC and chlorophyll degradation. Thus, the CP-CMP coating exhibits potent antioxidant and antibacterial properties, emerging as a promising alternative to traditional packaging materials. This innovative approach holds significant potential for reducing the environmental impact of white pollution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12377,"journal":{"name":"Food Packaging and Shelf Life","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 101592"},"PeriodicalIF":10.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144827040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chitosan nanoencapsulation of patchouli essential oil/V-doped ZnO nanoparticles for enhanced antimicrobial performance on plasma-treated polybutylene adipate terephthalate films","authors":"Marcela María Godoy Zúniga ,&nbsp;Ruonan Ding ,&nbsp;Eunyoung Oh ,&nbsp;Tan Binh Nguyen ,&nbsp;Quan Yuan ,&nbsp;Ziyang Duan ,&nbsp;Baekhwan Kim ,&nbsp;Jae-Do Nam ,&nbsp;Jonghwan Suhr","doi":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101591","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101591","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, various chitosan (Cst) nanocapsules loaded with patchouli essential oil (PEO) and vanadium zinc oxide (V-ZnO) nanoparticles were prepared using a nanoemulsion approach and employed as an active coating on polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) films. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the synthesis of loaded chitosan nanocapsules, showing sizes of 100–250 nm with zeta potentials ranging 28–38 mV. Thermal analysis revealed enhanced PEO thermal stability due to the encapsulation. The NC_6 formulation (80 %Cst,10 %PEO,10 %V-ZnO) exhibited a distinct controlled release of PEO, achieving 76.03 % higher retention than other formulations. Moreover, NC_6 showed outstanding inhibition of selective gram negative and positive foodborne pathogens with NC_6 reducing Escherichia (E.) coli and Staphylococcus (S.) aureus bacterial growth by 97.09 % and 96.78 %, respectively, compared to the control samples. Disc diffusion analysis showed greater inhibition zones for NC_5 (E. coli: 19.17 ± 1.19 mm, S. aureus: 18.83 ± 1.10 mm) and NC_6 (E. coli: 20.83 ± 1.14 mm, S. aureus: 20.67 ± 1.15 mm) compared to samples without nanocapsules. PBAT film subjected to 4-min Ar/O₂ plasma treatment exhibited improved hydrophilicity, reducing the water contact angle (WCA) from 80.65 ± 1.27˚ to 17.66 ± 1.64˚ (78.10 % reduction). Therefore, the nanocapsule coated films demonstrated promising capacity for packaging applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12377,"journal":{"name":"Food Packaging and Shelf Life","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 101591"},"PeriodicalIF":10.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144809678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a synergistic antimicrobial hydrogel coating by lysozyme amyloid fibrils and silver-glutathione bio-coordination nanofibrils for long-term preservation of perishable fruits","authors":"Ruiqi Zeng,&nbsp;Yuyao Liu,&nbsp;Zhilin Jiang,&nbsp;Yong Zuo,&nbsp;Chen Xiao","doi":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101588","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101588","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lysozyme amyloid fibrils (LAFs) hydrogels exhibit an enhanced antibacterial activity in food preservation compared to pristine lysozyme molecule. However, intrinsic limitations of low gel strength, insufficient coverage and rapid antibacterial effectiveness decay of LAFs restrict their large-scale applications in long-term food preservation. Herein, the co-assembly strategy was proposed to construct a supramolecular nanofibrils hydrogel coating using LAFs and GSH-Ag nanofibrils as building blocks. As expected, intermolecular hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions between these two nanofibrils were principally responsible for the co-assembly behavior and silver nanoparticles were found in the co-assembly networks. The co-assembly hydrogel demonstrated around 8.5 folds enhanced gel strength, favorable sprayable property and improved biocompatibility. GSH molecules imparted the imperative antioxidant activity to the co-assembly hydrogel. Sustained release of silver species and LAFs from the hydrogel synergistically exerted bactericidal activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, the co-assembly hydrogel exhibited an improved long-term preservation effect on two types of grapes (<em>Shine Muscat</em> and <em>Red Globe</em>), which could maintain freshness and nutrients of these perishable samples at least 25 days.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12377,"journal":{"name":"Food Packaging and Shelf Life","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 101588"},"PeriodicalIF":10.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144781432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hydrogel pads loaded with essential oil contribute to maintaining blueberry quality after transportation","authors":"Yuxuan Li ,&nbsp;Haifeng Rong ,&nbsp;Sixu Lin ,&nbsp;Yaohui Zheng ,&nbsp;Ling Yang ,&nbsp;Bingxin Sun ,&nbsp;Yunhe Zhang ,&nbsp;Yufeng Xu ,&nbsp;Xuerui Yan","doi":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101587","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101587","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Immediate shipment has become a new trend in online blueberry sales, leaving little to no time for postharvest treatment. To address this, a novel approach was developed, enabling blueberries to be shipped without additional treatment after harvest. This was achieved using terpinen-4-ol (T4O)-loaded PVA-PVP hydrogel pads (THPP), which maintained blueberry quality during transportation and subsequent storage. In this study, varying amounts of T4O were incorporated into THPP pads to evaluate their physical properties, antimicrobial activity, and preservation effects during blueberry simulated transportation. Then, the structural characterization of the optimal THPP pad was analyzed. The results showed that as the T4O concentration increased, the elasticity, water-holding capacity, and antimicrobial efficacy of the pads improved. While it was not the same in blueberry simulation transportation experiment, where 1 % THPP exhibited the best preservation effects among all treatments. Compared to the control group, it delayed the incidence of blueberries by 6 d, showing higher firmness by 67.3 %, and higher anthocyanin content by 42.1 %. Based on these three aspects, 1 % THPP was identified as the optimal pad. Structural analysis of the 1 % THPP showed that T4O cross-linked with PVA-PVP hydrogel (HPP) via hydrogen bonds, resulting in a more uniform structure and improved thermal stability of HPP.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12377,"journal":{"name":"Food Packaging and Shelf Life","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 101587"},"PeriodicalIF":10.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144781431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Opuntia (Cactaceae) mucilage mixed with polyvinyl alcohol for biodegradable packaging composite film formulation","authors":"Faten Mannai ,&nbsp;Hanedi Elhleli ,&nbsp;Anouer Feriani ,&nbsp;Harith Al Busaidi ,&nbsp;Mohamed Naceur Belgacem ,&nbsp;Younes Moussaoui","doi":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101583","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101583","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this work, mucilage was extracted from <em>Opuntia</em> (Cactaceae) (MuO) by a conventional method combined with ultrasound and used at different concentration levels to formulate films with polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) plasticized with glycerol (Gly). The microstructure, physicochemical, structural, barrier and mechanical properties, and thermal stability of the formulated blended films were explored. The solubility of the formulated films was established in deionized water, tap water, and seawater by monitoring the undissolved fractions. The biodegradability of the PVOH control and PVOH-MuO blended films was evaluated under environmental conditions for 40 days. The PVOH-MuO-based films exhibit homogeneous and uniform structures, suggesting intermolecular interactions between PVOH and MuO chains in the presence of Gly via hydrogen bonds. The addition of 3 % MuO improves the transparency, elastic modulus (9913 ± 81.9 MPa), barrier properties (0.41 ± 0.14 g mm m⁻² h⁻¹ kPa⁻¹), wettability (62°) and thermo-oxidative resistance. Although PVOH-MuO-based films have high solubility in various types of fresh water for 48 h. Under aerobic conditions, the formulated films biodegrade in the soil within 21 days. PVOH-MuO-based films are eco-friendly and can decompose completely in seawater and soil in a short time. The films produced have antibacterial activity against <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> and <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em> bacteria.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12377,"journal":{"name":"Food Packaging and Shelf Life","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 101583"},"PeriodicalIF":10.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144770628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preparation and characterization of a novel polyvinyl alcohol/pectin film containing bromocresol green-alizarin mixed indicator label for monitoring mushroom freshness","authors":"Yani Liu ,&nbsp;Defang Shi ,&nbsp;Xiuzhi Fan ,&nbsp;Chaomin Yin ,&nbsp;Zhicheng Huang ,&nbsp;Junlong Meng ,&nbsp;Bing Deng ,&nbsp;Ying Liu ,&nbsp;Cunkun Chen ,&nbsp;Hong Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101578","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fpsl.2025.101578","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intelligent indicator labels offer significant potential for real-time shelf-life assessment and quality preservation during perishable food logistics. This study developed a novel bromocresol green-alizarin (BGA) indicator-embedded polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/pectin (P) composite film for visual freshness monitoring of <em>Lentinula edodes</em> (shiitake mushrooms). The performance of the films was evaluated based on parameters including thickness, puncture resistance, opacity, moisture content, water solubility, and water vapor permeability. The optimal PVA/P mass ratio of 3:1 in films was determined through a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation, which effectively balanced mechanical strength, water sensitivity, and optical barrier properties. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) confirmed that BGA incorporation strengthened intermolecular interactions within the polymer matrix, resulting in superior thermal and color stability. For freshness evaluation, the BGA-3 (the ratio of BG:A=1:3) indicator label displayed distinct color transitions from green (pH 7.0) to yellow-green (pH ≈5.0) and finally to orange (pH ≈4.0), corresponding precisely to the freshness stages of <em>L. edodes</em>. Notably, the total color difference (ΔE) of the BGA-3 label showed significant correlations with the accumulated CO₂ concentration within the package and key mushroom quality parameters, including sensory evaluation, total aerobic plate counts, weight loss, hardness, and respiration intensity. The colorimetric response was directly triggered by CO₂-induced pH changes. This intelligent film provides a convenient, non-destructive method for real-time mushroom quality monitoring, demonstrating high application potential within the fresh produce supply chain.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12377,"journal":{"name":"Food Packaging and Shelf Life","volume":"51 ","pages":"Article 101578"},"PeriodicalIF":10.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144770629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}