Intelligent packaging systems for the quality and safety monitoring of meat products: From lab scale to industrialization

Meat consumption has substantially expanded over the last 50 years, with the worldwide market for fresh and processed meat predicted to be 277.5 million tons in 2020 and is predicted to reach an adjusted size of 292.92 million tons by 2027. Nevertheless, spoilage and deterioration of meat and meat products can cause economic losses for producers and health risks for consumers. To address this, intelligent packaging material has been developed with indicators and sensors, such as barcodes and radio frequency tags, to ensure quality control and safety. These advancements have revolutionized the packaging industry by reducing losses and extending shelf life. Additionally, intelligent packaging systems (IPSs) provide real-time information to consumers about the status of the product. This has improved the overall quality and safety of perishable packaged foods like meat. However, most of the studies are conducted on a lab scale, and there are many issues to be solved besides cost hurdles to apply them industrially. The transition from lab scale to industrialization of IPSs comes with challenges and limitations. One of the main challenges is scaling up production while maintaining the functionality and reliability of IPSs. This requires significant investment in equipment and processes. Additionally, ensuring the compatibility of IPSs with existing industrial processes and standards can be a hurdle. Another challenge is the need for extensive testing and validation to meet regulatory requirements and ensure the safety and efficacy of IPSs. Overcoming these challenges is crucial for successfully integrating IPSs into industrial manufacturing processes. This review focuses on ongoing scientific research and development of the latest technologies, from lab scale to industrialization, through an approach to monitor and track physical, chemical, and microbial changes in meat products packaged in industrial settings using intelligent multifunctional packaging. This review also provides an updated overview of the correlation from production scale to consumption, product spoilage, and experimental parameters such as pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and microbial load.