Smart packaging-integrated sensors and wireless communication technologies for monitoring spoilage in cold chain foods

Cold chain logistics can provide a low-temperature environment to inhibit microbial growth and slow down quality deterioration, it fails to fully inhibit food spoilage. Freshness detection of cold chain food, a crucial link connecting production, circulation, and consumption, relies on rapid detection technologies targeting characteristic spoilage markers to enable timely identification of deterioration. In this review, we not only comprehensively summarize high-performance sensors integrated into smart packaging and their detection mechanisms, but also systematically outline recent advances in wireless communication technologies to realize full-life-cycle traceability of cold chain food, addressing the research gap that existing reviews lack systematic integration of sensing and communication technologies. Notably, we establish a rational design framework for sensors with enhanced specificity and responsiveness by elucidating the thermodynamic and kinetic principles regulating sensor-spoilage biomarker interactions, explicitly linking theoretical mechanisms to practical sensor performance and design optimization. We also supplement performance benchmarking of different technologies and discuss their limitations, scalability, and real-world implementation challenges. We anticipate this work will facilitate the application of sensor technologies in smart packaging and food quality assessment, thereby propelling technological advancement in the entire cold chain industry.