Inclusion of natural anthocyanins as food spoilage sensors

Food safety is one of the most up-to-date subjects under the scope of the scientific community since 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 consists in evaluating changes in pH since a significant amount of food spoilage occurs with significative alteration (e.g., acidity increases on dairy products). However, some safety concerns emerge from the use of complex artificial chemical molecules as pH indicators in active labels/packages for food. Natural 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. In this proposal, the latest scientific contributions on the application of anthocyanins in food spoilage sensors are briefly reviewed.