pH-sensitive poly(vinyl alcohol)/quercetin/curcumin nanofiber membrane for food freshness monitoring.

Abstract

Food wastage is a growing environmental issue, partly due to the difficulty of determining food spoilage. To address this, pH-sensitive intelligent packaging has been developed for monitoring of food freshness. In this study, a nanofibrous membrane (NFM) composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), quercetin (Que), and curcumin (Cur) was fabricated via electrospinning and heat-treated to enhance its moisture stability under humid conditions. In addition, the incorporation of Que. and Cur into PVA imparted multifunctional properties, including UV shielding, antioxidant activity (88%), and antibacterial properties with inhibition zones of 13-15 mm. Upon exposure to ammonia vapor, PQC NFM exhibited a rapid color response with a ΔE value of 12.54, surpassing conventional film. During shrimp spoilage tests, the PQC NFM showed a higher color change (ΔE = 16.17) than the corresponding film (ΔE = 13.57), enabling rapid color changes in response to food spoilage. This demonstrates its potential for consumer-friendly intelligent packaging.