Inclusion of Natural Anthocyanins as Food Spoilage Sensors

Food safety is one of the most contemporary subjects under the scope of the scientific community since it is a fundamental issue for the general population. The desire to use a simple, inexpensive, easy-to-read package freshness-indicator led to a multitude of proposals for package real-time sensors for food freshness indicators. The sensors’ design strategy is to target a physical or chemical modification that occurs by the spoiling process, such as changes in temperature, moisture, or the detection of foodborne pathogens. One of the most common approaches is evaluating changes in pH, since a significant amount of food spoilage occurs with significant alterations (e.g., acidity increases on dairy products). However, some safety concerns emerge from the use of complex artificial chemical molecules such as pH indicators in active labels/packages for food. Naturally occurring anthocyanins are a safe alternative to classic pH indicators and have been applied as sensitive molecules for pH changes aimed at the development of active labels and active packing for food. This proposal briefly reviews the latest scientific contributions on the application of anthocyanins in food spoilage sensors.