Development of real time-pH sensitive intelligent indicators for monitoring chicken breast freshness/spoilage using real packaging practices

Real-real time CO2-sensitive freshness indicators, phenol red (PR) and bromothymol blue (BTB) dyes, in three-layer system using cellulose based binder was developed to determine the freshness/spoilage of chicken breast. The developed indicators were used to monitor chicken meat spoilage packaged in polyamide/polyethylene (PA/PE) pouches under air and 100% nitrogen (N2) at 4 °C for 10 days. Changes in the ΔE and ΔRGB values of the indicators, CO2/O2 gas composition of packs, and chemical (TVBN, pH, trimethylamine), microbial, and sensory quality parameters of chicken breast meat were analyzed. The visual color change in the PR-based indicator was insufficient for the consumer to detect the spoilage with the naked eye in both simulation and food trial. However, three stage color (dark blue-turquoise-green) change was occurred in BTB-based indicators, and the color transition in the spoilage level of CO2 (10–15% (v/v)) is supported by the physicochemical, microbiological and sensorial properties of the chicken breast. The shelf life of chicken breast under air was limited to 4 days, while the shelf life under 100% N2 was 6 days which are supported by the visual color change of BTB indicator. The BTB-based indicators were found promising on a real packaging conditions and could be adapted to industrial scale for monitoring real-time freshness/spoilage of poultry, ensuring food safety.