Silver Nanoparticles Based Smart Packaging Material

Abstract

Smart packaging of food is an emerging and challenging field of research that monitor the food quality and conditions in real-time and enable consumers to recognize freshness of food. This will lead to lessen health, food loss and environmental concerns. Several smart packaging materials based upon different detection systems are available. Out of these, Colorimetric based indicators have gained center of attention owing to on- time detection based on color change. Many dyes based colorimetric indicators have been used to detect food spoilage. But in certain cases, leaching of dyes into food has let to utilize other colorimetric materials. In the present work smart packaging material as, optical indicator for chicken meat spoilage has been fabricated and its response was analyzed. The composite material as AgNPs/PANI-NFs/Chitosan spin coated on a glass slide acted as optical indicator. The AgNPs were prepared by chemical reduction method and doped-PANI-NFs by oxidative polymerization. The materials have been characterized by SEM, FTIR, UV-Vis Spectroscopy, XRD and Contact angle measurement. The colorimetric response of PANI-NFs mediated by Ag NPs towards chicken spoilage was monitored by visual color change and RGB color model. The optimized optical response of Ag NPs/PANI-NFs/ Chitosan towards spoilage was measured with 6% concentration of indicator for 2g meat at fourth day at room temperature. The colorimetric composite formed was selective for volatile amines specifically released by spoiling chicken meat. The optimization will further be confirmed by digital colorimetric instrument and fabricated material can be used at a larger scale.