An intelligent biomass aerogel label loaded with anthocyanin from wasted peanut seed coat for monitoring chilled chicken freshness

The demand for environmentally sustainable and intelligent freshness indicator packaging derived from bio-based materials has surged nowadays. In this study, a new kind of aerogel labels is developed by incorporating anthocyanins extracted from wasted black peanut seed coat into dialdehyde carboxymethyl cellulose (DCMC) and gelatin. The prepared aerogel (DG-5), cross-linked via Schiff base reaction and containing 5 wt% DCMC, demonstrated superior microstructure, thermal stability, and mechanical properties, thereby enhancing its sensitivity to spoilage gases. When incorporated with 1 wt% anthocyanin (DG-PC2), the labels exhibited significant color variations in different buffer solutions. During the chicken freshness test, the color of the material altered significantly after one day of storage at 4 °C (P < 0.05), with the most marked change observed on Day 3, indicating chicken spoilage. The experimental outcomes revealed that these color changes were visually discernible and correlated significantly (P < 0.05) with physicochemical indicators of chicken spoilage. The proposed colorimetric porous aerogel labels exhibit great potential for applications in intelligent food packaging systems.