Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
POLYMER-PLASTICS TECHNOLOGY AND MATERIALS, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Different types of freshness indicators have been defined for smart packaging, transmit information about the functions and properties of foods. The most frequently applied, especially in the meat packaging industry, are calorimetric pH indicators that monitor the release of gases resulting from microbial growth. Biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA)/thermoplastic starch (TPS) based blends for smart packaging as a pH indicator were obtained by using different amounts of natural curcumin (3, 5, and 7 wt.%) mixed in a twin-screw extruder. Mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of the composites, their water affinity, and color change properties with pH, were investigated. In addition, films used for chicken meat were tested to monitor food quality as an indicator of freshness. According to tensile test results, the composite with 7 wt.% curcumin content has the highest tensile strength. When composites containing 5 wt.% and 7 wt.% curcumin were used to monitor chicken meat spoilage, pH had changed due to the emission of total volatile basic amines, and films showed color changes from light yellow to light brown. The developed pH-sensitive films exhibit significant potential in smart food packaging applications, as they enable real-time and nondestructive monitoring of food freshness through visible color changes triggered by pH fluctuations during food spoilage processes.