Thermochromic Labels for Food Cold Chain Monitoring
The FOODTRACK project, a collaboration involving UAB, ICN2 and ColorSensing S.L., aims to develop thermochromic labels that signal cold chain failures during the entire supply chain of refrigerated food. This low-cost, user-friendly solution would enable enhanced food safety, while contributing to the reduction of food waste.
About one third of global food production is wasted each year, causing major environmental impacts, including 8–10% of global carbon emissions, and economic losses of approximately €828 billion. A major factor accounting for this issue is the lack of tools that provide real-time information on both packaging integrity and the real conservation state of packaged foods during the supply chain, leading companies to use conservative expiration dates that result in massive unnecessary waste. Temperature control is especially critical in this scenario, as improper cooling enables microbial growth and compromises food safety. Therefore, developing low-cost and user-friendly indicators that report on cold chain failure would enable better control over food quality during storage, distribution and retailing, ultimately contributing to the reduction of food waste.
This is the objective of FOODTRACK, a recently launched project that brings together UAB’s group “Electrochemistry, Photochemistry and Organic Reactivity” (Department of Chemistry), ICN2’s group “Nanostructured Functional Materials”, and the startup ColorSensing S.L. By combining UAB’s and ICN2’s expertise in the development of stimuli-responsive optical (nano)materials with ColorSensing’s patented technology for generating coloured QR codes that enable reliable colour calibration and quantification, this consortium aims to create thermochromic labels that issue a permanent alert when a packaged food product exceeds a critical temperature threshold, thus providing an energy‑free, continuous record of temperature abuse throughout the entire supply chain. To this end, printable thermochromic inks will be produced that are activated during food packaging and produce an irreversible color response at temperatures relevant for refrigerated food preservation. This technological solution would have a direct impact on multiple stakeholders across the food industry sector, from food manufacturers to retailers and final consumers, while addressing the global problem of food waste and its environmental and economic consequences.
This work is supported by MICIU/ AEI / 10.13039/501100011033 / FEDER through the Proyectos en Colaboración Público-Privada program (project CPP2024-011402).