Natural Pigment-Based Smart Packaging Films: Mechanisms, Material Strategies, and Applications Across Food Categories
Mokhamad Nur 1,2*, Clarissa Evanarda Athirah 1

1) Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Jl. Veteran Malang 65145, Indonesia
2) Center for Pesantren and Community Development Studies, Universitas Brawijaya, Jl. Veteran Malang 65145, Indonesia
*Email: mnur[at]ub.ac.id

Abstract

Natural pigment-based smart packaging films represent a promising innovation in food quality monitoring by enabling non-destructive, real-time spoilage detection through visible color change. This review synthesizes recent advances from original research on films incorporating anthocyanins, betalains, curcumin, and alizarin into various polymer matrices, with a focus on material compatibility, fabrication scalability, and performance stability. Anthocyanins dominate seafood applications owing to their broad pH-responsive hue range, while betalains, curcumin, and alizarin expand functionality in meat and dairy systems. Two consolidated tables summarize the relationships between pigments, matrices, fabrication methods, and performance, as well as six key strategies-metal-ion complexation, nanoparticle incorporation, hydrophobic matrices, nanocomplex encapsulation, pigment blending, and nanofibrous architectures-that enhance stability and sensitivity. The discussion highlights food-specific tailoring, regulatory considerations for nanoparticle and metal-ion use, and the scalability of casting, extrusion, and electrospinning methods. Future research directions include quantitative calibration of hue changes to spoilage indices, integration with multi-modal sensing systems, and industrial adoption of biopolymer blends for dual active-intelligent functionality.

Keywords: colorimetric indicator- edible films- natural pigment- smart packaging

Topic: Food science and biotechnology