Irreversible Spoilage Sensors for Protein-Based Food

Color changing food spoilage sensors for protein-based food products, such as fish and beef, are mostly based on the halochromic behavior of pH indicators. However, due to their reversible halochromic nature, these sensors can be manipulated by chemical treatment, hiding the true history and quality of deteriorated meat. Therefore, there is a need to create an irreversible and reliable food spoilage sensor, which clearly indicates to consumers if any food degradation or improper storage has occurred, and avoid nefarious food processing companies from disguising spoiled meat as fresh meat. Here, a simple, irreversible, and halochromic sensor showing spoilage of seafood and meat products is developed. Specifically, chlorophenol red (CPR)-fatty acid particles are dispersed within an ammonia-permeable polymer matrix to form a nontoxic film sensor that shows obvious halochromic behavior toward bioamine or total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) given off by deteriorated seafood or meat products. After the removal of TVB-N, this sensor does not revert back to its original color due to a loss of π-π stacking of the original sulfonephthalein molecules. These features make this sensor applicable as a novel and reliable spoilage sensor for protein-based food products.