Preparation of sugarcane bagasse nanocellulose hydrogel as a colourimetric freshness indicator for intelligent food packaging

Carbohydrate Polymers 2020

Preparation of sugarcane bagasse nanocellulose hydrogel as a colourimetric freshness indicator for intelligent food packaging

Peng Lu, Yang Yang, Ren Liu, Xin Liu, Jinxia Ma, Min Wu*, Shuangfei Wang

摘要：A sugarcane bagasse nanocellulose-based hydrogel was developed as a colourimetric freshness indicator for monitoring spoilage of chicken breast. Nanocellulose was prepared from sugarcane bagasse cellulose filaments by TEMPO-mediated oxidation, and then used to form a strong self-standing hydrogel matrix through Zn2+ cross-linking. The hydrogel worked as a carrier for pH-responsive dyes (bromothymol blue/methyl red), which changed colour according to the freshness of the chicken sample. CO2 levels were found to increase with the spoilage of chicken, relative to rising levels of micro-organisms. The indicator hydrogel optical colour changed from green to red on the third day, as the log CFU/g passed the limit of acceptability for human consumption and emission of complicated volatiles. This new design of colourimetric freshness indicator made with a nanocellulose hydrogel has a quick response to chicken spoilage and is expected to facilitate the utilisation of bagasse nanocellulose as a value-added material in intelligent packaging.

DOI：https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.116831