Smart nano-inks based on natural food colorant for screen-printing of dynamic shelf life of shrimp

Abstract

Intelligent packaging embedded with food freshness indicators can monitor food quality and be deployed for food safety and cutting food waste. The innovative nano-inks for dynamic shelf-life printing based on natural food colorant with application in real-time monitoring of shrimp freshness were prepared. Co-assembly of saffron petal anthocyanin (SPA) with hydrophobic curcumin (Cur) into chitin nano-scaffold (particle sizes around 26 ± 8 nm) could deliver hindering SPA leaching, confirmed by FT-IR, FE-SEM, AFM, and color stability test. The best response to pH-sensitivity was found in a ratio of (1:4) Cur/SPA (30% (v/w) in ChNFs that was correlated with the chemical and microbial changes of shrimp during shrimp freshness. However, smart screen-printed inks signified higher responsiveness to pH changes than FFI films. Therefore, smart-printed indicators introduced the excellent potential for a short response time, easy, cost-effective, eco-friendly, co-assembly, great color stabilities, and lifetime for nondestructively freshness monitoring foods and supplements.