Electrospun Nanofibrous Mat-on-Film Bilayered Halochromic Freshness Marker-Enabled Intelligent Food Packaging Film Based on Red Cabbage Anthocyanins

Bilayered intelligent films based on electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol)/red cabbage extract-anthocyanins (PVA/RCA) nanofibrous mats, bolstered by oxygen-plasma-treated clay-filled polyethylene/clay nanocomposites for monitoring the food freshness, have been fabricated and evaluated. The nanofibrous mats (PVRC) of PVA/RCA were optimally fabricated by electrospinning, followed by their morphological and physio-mechanical characterization. The pH-responsive sensing of the PVRC mats to hydrochloric acid (HCl) and ammonia (NH3) vapors as stimuli was analyzed using the absorption spectra corresponding to HCl and NH3 at ∼530 and ∼650 nm, respectively. The oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of 1083.7 cm3/m2/day and the water vapor permeability (WVP) of 2.34 × 10–9 g/s·m·Pa for the novel bilayered electrospun mat-on-film packaging construct showed enhanced barrier performance with respect to stand-alone LLDPE blown film (LL) with OTR and WVP of 1502.8 cm3/m2/day and 4.7 × 10–9 g/s·m·Pa, respectively. The bilayered constructs were further evaluated as freshness indicators by real-time monitoring of chickens and prawns for intelligent food packaging.