Fabrication and characterization of a smart film based on cassava starch and pomegranate peel powder for monitoring lamb meat freshness

Nowadays, the development of pH‐sensitive smart edible films using biopolymers and natural plant extracts (especially those rich in anthocyanins) has attracted much attention. Therefore, in this study, the intelligent edible film was produced and characterized using cassava starch and pomegranate peel powder (PPP) and the possibility of using production films to monitor the freshness of lamb meat. The smart films were prepared using different concentrations of PPP (2, 4, 6, and 8% w/w) and the solvent casting method. The results showed that the incorporation of PPP had a significant effect on the mechanical parameters of the starch films. With increasing the levels of PPP, the color of the films became darker and redder. Increasing the PPP levels also led to an increase in total phenol content (TPC) (from 0 to 13 mg GAE (gallic acid equivalent)/g) and antioxidant activity (from 0% to 70% DPPH (1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picryl hydrazyl) radical scavenging) of the produced films (p < .05). The intelligent film was used in the lamb meat packaging, and the color of the film changed from red to green during the storage period at 25°C. The amount of total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N) in the meat could be detected by color changes of the intelligent films. Finally, this study demonstrated that the film based on cassava starch and PPP could be used as an intelligent and pH‐sensitive film to monitor the freshness of meat and meat products.