Intelligent packaging films incorporated with anthocyanins-loaded ovalbumin-carboxymethyl cellulose nanocomplexes for food freshness monitoring

•Intelligent film was designed with ACNs-loaded OVA-CMC nanocomplexes and starch/PVA matrix.•Anthocyanins were stabilized by OVA-CMC nanocomplexes as a pH indicator.•The SP/OVA-CMC-ACNs film showed superior physical properties.•The intelligent film had a potential used as mushrooms spoilage indicator. An intelligent colorimetric film was prepared to monitor mushrooms freshness by incorporating anthocyanin-loaded ovalbumin-carboxymethyl cellulose nanocomplexes (OVA-CMC-ACNs) into corn starch/polyvinyl alcohol matrix. The results showed that ACNs could be loaded into OVA-CMC nanocomplexes with larger particle size and more uniform size distribution. The structure, physical properties, colorimetric response and practical application of films were studied. Compared with SP/ACNs film incorporation of free anthocyanins, SP/OVA-CMC-ACNs film had denser structure, higher mechanical and water barrier properties, and better thermal stability, which were related to the hydrogen bond among film components by FT-IR. The SP/OVA-CMC-ACNs film showed obvious colorimetric response in CO2 gas and pH buffer. The successful applications of intelligent film for the freshness monitoring of mushrooms. The intelligent film could monitor the freshness of mushrooms during the storage by visual color change from purple to pink. These results indicated that prepared SP/OVA-CMC-ACNs film have great application potential in intelligent food packaging.