A starch–polyvinyl alcohol polymer film-based on-site sensor for ammonia: a cost effective day-to-day technique for monitoring fish and meat spoilage

Abstract

Ammonia or biogenic amines released by protein degradation during food spoilage have various ill effects on human health and the environment. Herein, an economical colorimetric bisphenol-based sensor was developed from inexpensive reagents and a simple synthetic method for detecting ammonia and monitoring food spoilage. The slightest addition of NH₃ significantly changed the absorption of BP, which was reflected in the detection limit value for NH₃ (7.89 × 10⁻⁷ M). The film-based sensor developed by immobilizing BP onto a starch–polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix enabled both the rapid and visual onsite detection of ammonia and the determination of the RGB contents using a digital application. The blue content of the film linearly changed with the extent of the spoilage of fish and meat samples. This linear change enabled the film-based sensor to act as an excellent food quality indicator for hourly food quality monitoring. The aerial reversibility of the film empowered its use for many cycles without the use of any reagents.