Smart Food Packaging With Biodegradable Polymers: Progress and Prospects of Colorimetric Indicators

ABSTRACT In the past 5 years, the development of biodegradable intelligent packaging has emerged as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics, combining environmental responsibility with real‐time food quality monitoring. This review provides an integrated analysis of colorimetric indicators incorporated into biodegradable polymeric matrices. Natural pigments such as anthocyanins, curcumin, and betalains have been widely employed as pH‐ and gas‐responsive compounds in chitosan‐, starch‐, and alginate‐based films, offering biocompatibility, visual sensitivity, and environmental safety. Bibliometric mapping confirms the predominance of natural polysaccharides as functional matrices due to their abundance, low cost, and compatibility with sensitive indicators. Comparative analyses highlight that although significant laboratory‐scale progress has been achieved, large‐scale implementation remains limited by pigment instability, high processing costs, and the absence of standardized validation protocols. The review further identifies critical research gaps related to scalability, cost‐effectiveness, and regulatory approval of intelligent biodegradable packaging. Future perspectives emphasize the need for techno‐economic studies, pigment stabilization strategies, and scalable manufacturing routes compatible with industrial extrusion and lamination processes. These advances are essential to accelerate the transition from conceptual formulations to market‐ready, circular‐economy‐oriented smart packaging technologies.