Chitin nanofiber reinforced chitosan aerogel intelligent packaging for real-time monitoring of beef freshness

In this study, intelligent chitosan-curcumin aerogels were developed for real-time beef freshness monitoring. The incorporation of negatively charged chitin nanofibers (CN, 0–7 g/100 g, based on chitosan weight) controlled ice crystal growth during freezing, precisely tuning the aerogel microstructure. The 5 g/100 g CN aerogel (CS-CN5) had a uniform porous network and a compressive strength that was 118 % greater than that of the CN-free aerogel. Additionally, CS-CN5 demonstrated structural advantages such as high porosity (> 98 %) and low density (<0.02 g·cm −3 ). CS-CN5 exhibited excellent water (14.1 g/g) and oil (42.6 g/g) absorption, highlighting its potential as a food pad. This material demonstrated strong ammonia sensitivity, reusability, antioxidant stability, and antibacterial activity. Compared with films of the same composition, aerogels presented a more pronounced visual color response to beef spoilage. Owing to their porous structure, aerogels facilitate the release of antimicrobial and antioxidant agents, thereby contributing to the extension of beef shelf-life to a certain extent. This structural modulation strategy significantly enhances aerogel properties for food packaging applications. • CN regulated ice crystal growth during gel freezing to control aerogel structure. • CN reduces ice crystal size by spatial confinement. • CN improved the porosity and mechanical properties of aerogel packaging. • Aerogel packaging surpasses film in NH 3 sensitivity and color reversibility. • Aerogel intelligent packaging had excellent accuracy in monitoring beef freshness.