Construction of a Cheap pH-Based Colorimetric Sensor Based on Natural Materials to Detect Spoilage of Protein Materials Chicken and Sausage

Protein products are currently one of the most perishable food sources that require the use of modern packaging methods such as smart packaging that can perform intelligent functions to increase shelf life, control changes and maintain product quality. The aim of this study was to provide a pH-dependent color sensor, simple, inexpensive and non-toxic to detect spoilage of protein materials during storage. Experiments were performed on the samples at both ambient and refrigerator temperatures. Watman paper impregnated with aqueous extracts of fruits and plants was used to make this sensor. The growth of microorganisms during storage of protein materials leads to the breakdown of chicken meat sausage proteins and the production of volatile amines, which accumulate in the packaging, causing the environment to become alkaline and change the color of the filter paper impregnated with the aqueous extract. These color changes were evaluated using CIELab imaging and thiobarbituric acid index measurement, total volatile nitrogen, total phenol, and changes in the appearance of the samples, all of which were consistent with the color change of the sensor as the decay process progressed.