Journal of Graphic Engineering and Design

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Production of pH indicators from starch and anthocyanins for use in smart packaging

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  • Sanja Mahović Poljaček,
  • Eva Đakulović,
  • Tamara Tomašegović,
  • Sonja Jamnicki Hanzer,
  • Maja Strižić Jakovljević,
  • Urška Kavčič,
  • Gregor Lavrič,
  • Igor Karlovits
Sanja Mahović Poljaček
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Graphic Arts, Zagreb, Croatia
Eva Đakulović
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Graphic Arts, Zagreb, Croatia
Tamara Tomašegović
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Graphic Arts, Zagreb, Croatia
Sonja Jamnicki Hanzer
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Graphic Arts, Zagreb, Croatia
Maja Strižić Jakovljević
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Graphic Arts, Zagreb, Croatia
Urška Kavčič
Pulp and Paper Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Gregor Lavrič
Pulp and Paper Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Igor Karlovits
Danfoss Trata d.o.o., Šentvid, Slovenia; National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Published 2025-11-12

abstract views: 0 // Full text article (PDF): 1


Keywords

  • smart packaging,
  • pH-indicators,
  • anthocyanins,
  • biodegradable composite films

How to Cite

Mahović Poljaček, S., Đakulović, E., Tomašegović, T., Jamnicki Hanzer, S., Strižić Jakovljević, M., Kavčič, U., … Karlovits, I. (2025). Production of pH indicators from starch and anthocyanins for use in smart packaging. Journal of Graphic Engineering and Design. Retrieved from https://sp.ftn.uns.ac.rs/index.php/jged/article/view/2069

Copyright (c) 2025 © 2025 Authors. Published by the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Department of Graphic Engineering and Design. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license 4.0 Serbia

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

In this research, natural pigments, anthocyanins, were used to produce bio-based films that can be used in smart packaging, as they serve as pH indicators to monitor the freshness of the packaged products. The aim of the research is to analyse the colorimetric and optical differences in the produced films before and after they are exposed to the environment with different pH values. In order to evaluate the possibility of using the produced films in printing processes, the adhesion of the produced pH indicators to packaging material was determined. This research has shown that it is possible to produce pH indicators from anthocyanins extracted from plant residues as well as from different types of starch. The influence of the anthocyanins immobilised in the starches on the colorimetric properties of the produced films and the adhesion of the films to the packaging material was evaluated. The research results showed that it is possible to produce a pH-responsive indicator based on the ingredients used. Different types of starch showed no significant difference in the visual appearance of the films, but a difference was found when different anthocyanins were used. It was proposed to use potato starch with anthocyanins from red cabbage and maize starch with anthocyanins from red onions to produce pH indicators. These polymer composites showed clear color shifts that are easy to recognise visually.

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