Advance in pH-Sensitive Food Freshness Indicator and Its Applications in Food Quality Monitoring
LIU Yong，LI Li
Engineering Research Center of Food Thermal-Processing Technology, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
Abstract：Recently, the research on intelligent packaging has gained great attention. The pH-sensitive indicator is a type of freshness indicator, which can alter its color as food quality decrease and effectively and directly reflect the freshness of food products showing enormous potential in the food supply chain. In order to enhance the color variation of pH-sensitive indicators, researchers found numerous pH-sensitive colorants and developed lots of matrix materials, which will improve the barrier performance, stability, and mechanical properties and bioactivity of pH-sensitive indicators. In this review, the latest developments in pH-sensitive freshness indicators are described from two perspectives: the sources of pH-sensitive pigment and the types of base film, and the current challenges and future research trends are discussed. Hopefully, this review will provide some valuable information for the research of pH-sensitive indicators.
2022, Vol. 36 
