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Integrated Curcumin-Based Polylactic Acid Film with Screen-Printed Indicator for Real-Time Shrimp Freshness
Kelan Liu1, Shasha Zhang1, Xiaoxue Han1
1Electronic Information School, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 4, 2026
Summary
A new curcumin-based ink for intelligent food packaging offers real-time shrimp freshness monitoring. This eco-friendly solution provides a reliable visual warning, helping to reduce food waste and prevent the consumption of spoiled food.
Area of Science:
- Food Science and Technology
- Materials Science
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Growing demand for freshness-indicating technologies to combat food waste and health risks.
- Limitations of conventional colorimetric packaging: instability, subtle color changes, and complex production.
- Need for advanced intelligent packaging solutions for perishable goods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel curcumin-based ink for eco-friendly polylactic acid (PLA) food packaging films.
- To enable real-time shrimp freshness monitoring through integrated intelligent packaging.
- To provide a reliable visual indicator for food spoilage.
Main Methods:
- Formulation of a curcumin-based ink using ethyl cellulose (EC), polyvinyl butyral (PVB), and polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400).
- Evaluation of ink printability, rheological properties, and impact on PLA film characteristics.
- Testing the indicator label's sensitivity, response time, and reversibility to ammonia vapor.
- Application in monitoring shrimp spoilage at different temperatures (25 °C and 4 °C) and correlating color change with TVB-N and pH.
Main Results:
- The curcumin-based ink exhibited excellent printability and desirable rheological properties.
- Printing the ink minimally impacted the mechanical and barrier properties of PLA films.
- The indicator label demonstrated high sensitivity, rapid response, and reversibility to ammonia.
- A strong correlation was observed between the label's color transition and increased TVB-N content and pH during shrimp spoilage.
Conclusions:
- A viable integrated indicator packaging strategy using curcumin-based ink for intelligent packaging was developed.
- The developed intelligent packaging provides a reliable visual warning for shrimp spoilage before obvious signs appear.
- This technology has significant potential to reduce food waste and enhance supply chain transparency for perishable goods.
