Freshness Indicators in Food Packaging

A color-changing freshness indicator for food packaging that detects spoilage through a three-stage color transition. The indicator consists of a transparent PET outer layer, a color-changing layer containing bromothymol blue dye, and a white LDPE inner layer. The color change is triggered by CO2 metabolites produced during spoilage, providing a visual indication of food freshness. The indicator is suitable for packaging chicken and other perishable foods, and its color change is directly proportional to the amount of CO2 present.

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Packaging method for monitoring rice freshness using colorimetric sensors added during packaging. The sensors contain chemical dyes that react with volatile compounds generated during rice storage to change color. This allows real-time monitoring of rice freshness by consumers. The sensors are prepared by mixing milled rice with chemical dyes to form a paste. The dye-rice paste is then spread onto a backing material and dried to create the colorimetric sensor.

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Elastic food freshness sensor module for packaging and containers that can stretch and conform to food shapes while continuously monitoring freshness. The module contains a stretchable resin base, food freshness sensor, wireless communication unit, battery, and solar cell. The sensor detects gas emissions from food to assess freshness. The module attaches to packaging or containers to monitor food inside. It uses stretchable components and a flexible resin base to allow conforming to the food shape. The sensor, comms, battery, and solar cell are connected to the stretchable base.

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Dynamic QR code labels for real-time monitoring of food freshness. The labels use pH indicator ink to change color as the food's pH changes, allowing visual tracking of freshness. The labels also have traditional QR functionality. Scanning the label with a phone app compares the current color to the initial color to determine freshness level. The app collects, transmits, and predicts freshness data.

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A freshness monitoring system for food products that uses a packaging container with an embedded gas sensor and color-changing indicator. The system captures an image of the container, extracts a color code from the image, and uses machine learning to determine the freshness of the product based on the color code and stored product data. The system provides real-time freshness guidance to consumers and retailers through a user interface.

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A device for indicating the freshness of food during storage, particularly in controlled environment systems like cold storage. The device has a packaging body with upper and lower plastic sheets joined around the edges. Inside, it is divided into two compartments by a weakly bonded welding line. One compartment contains microbial powder and the other contains an indicator solution. As the food ages, microbes grow in the powder compartment and release metabolites that diffuse into the indicator compartment, changing its color to indicate spoilage. This provides a precise and low-cost way to accurately predict and monitor food freshness during storage.

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Smart packaging for meat that allows visual determination of freshness without lab tests. The packaging contains a freshness indicator film fixed to an air permeable window. As volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) levels in the meat increase due to spoilage, the film changes color. This allows consumers to visually check the freshness of the meat without lab equipment. The film is transparent with color labels on a separate strip to indicate freshness levels.

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Visual intelligent packaging box with RFID that provides real-time monitoring of food freshness and temperature during storage. The box has a removable tray inside, an RFID tag, a freshness indicator, and a temperature sensor on the side. It also has a bayonet-style locking mechanism at one end to secure the lid. This allows easy access to the tray for viewing the freshness indicator and removing the food while still tracking temperature and freshness inside the box. The RFID tag can be scanned to retrieve product information and history.

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Preparing a freshness-indicating smart label for food packaging that changes color with the food's freshness. The label contains a nano-cellulose film with a pH indicator that changes color as the food spoils. This allows quick visual assessment of food freshness. The label can be applied to food packages and read using a smartphone camera to scan a QR code or barcode for further information. The label uses a pH indicator in a nano-cellulose film that changes color as the food spoils, providing a visual indicator of freshness. The label can be applied to food packages and read using a smartphone camera to scan a QR code or barcode for further information.

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A food package with an indicator that changes color or texture over time after opening to provide a visual indication of food freshness. The indicator can be activated by opening the package and changes like color or texture over time indicate spoilage. It allows consumers to accurately gauge food freshness after opening instead of relying on arbitrary expiration dates. The indicator can be integrated into the package or attached. A camera can monitor the indicator and a control unit tracks spoilage progress.

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Liquid-tight cardboard/plastic composite packaging for pourable food products with a resealable opening element that has a built-in indicator to show the product's freshness after opening. The indicator changes based on factors like time, temperature, pH, oxygen, etc. The indicator element can be covered by the opening element. This helps consumers monitor the product's durability after first use. The indicator can be active or passive, and can use electrochemical reactions, temperature sensors, or bio/chemical receptors. The indicator is embedded in the packaging during production.

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Food package with an indicator that changes color or texture over time to show how fresh the contents are after opening. The indicator is activated when the package is opened and changes based on factors like time, temperature, pressure, and gas levels inside the package. This provides a visual cue to the consumer about the spoilage status of the opened food beyond the initial expiration date. The indicator can be monitored over time to detect if the food has been mishandled and is likely to go bad soon.

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An indicator for monitoring the freshness of food that changes color as the food spoils. The indicator contains gold nanorods and a mixture of chloroauric acid and a surfactant. Chloroauric acid corrodes the gold nanorods preferentially at the ends, causing them to shorten and lose aspect ratio. This results in a blue shift of the gold nanorods' absorption peak and a color change from brown to green, black, orange, and colorless as the food spoils.

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Monitoring the freshness of packaged meat products using a biological indicator inside the package. A young, fresh leaf of a specific edible plant like lettuce is placed inside the meat package. The plant responds quickly to changes in the meat's freshness. If the plant starts to deteriorate, it indicates the meat is going bad. This provides a simple, intuitive, and independent method for visually determining meat freshness without specialized equipment. The plant's appearance can be observed through a partially transparent package to detect spoilage.

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Food packaging with an external freshness indicator to prevent consumers from consuming spoiled food when they reopen a package. The indicator changes color over time as the food inside spoils, allowing the consumer to see if the contents are still fresh before opening. This prevents consuming spoiled food that may not be visually apparent. The indicator is external to the package so it can be checked without opening it.

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Smart label for perishable product packaging that provides information about the remaining shelf life of the product inside the package. The label is flexible, low cost, and easily discardable at the end of product life. It has a flexible substrate with integrated electronics like sensors, memory, and a microcontroller. The label can be applied externally to the package or inside with separate sensors. It monitors environmental conditions and product aging to estimate remaining shelf life. The label can also detect packaging opening to prevent misuse. The flexible, detachable design reduces waste compared to rigid electronics.

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Preventing spoilage of perishable goods like fruits and vegetables by using controlled release sachets and sheets containing bioactive compounds that inhibit spoilage-causing microbes. The sachets and sheets enclose composites of bioactive compounds in a carrier material, and have layers that allow transmission of the compounds. Placing the sachets or sheets inside containers with perishable goods releases the compounds into the environment to extend shelf life by preventing spoilage. The controlled release allows predictable concentrations of the compounds to be maintained.

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Smart label device for packaging of perishable products that provides an indication of remaining product life. The label is flexible, printable, and made from organic/polymeric materials. It contains sensors, an integrated circuit, and a power supply printed onto a flexible substrate. The sensors detect environmental parameters and product conditions. The label can be applied to the outside of the packaging or inside to monitor the product. It calculates remaining life based on conditions and displays it. The printable electronics allow flexible, low-cost, easy-to-dispose labels for perishable goods.

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Communicating freshness data for stored juice using an optical sensor to monitor particle agglomeration. An optical sensor inside a portable juice container detects changes in particle size distribution over time as particles agglomerate. This data is extracted and communicated to the user to indicate juice freshness. The sensor allows monitoring of agglomeration rates that align with decomposition processes. It provides a convenient freshness indicator compared to more complex sensors for monitoring spoilage.

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Freshness monitoring method and monitoring system that can monitor the freshness of food. The method includes a food identification code to identify food sealed within the food receiving space, a gas sensor (200) that generates gas information by sensing gas changed by food within the food receiving space.

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