Predictive modeling and selection of TTI smart labels for monitoring the quality and shelf-life of frozen seafood

• Reproducible response of enzymatic and photochromic TTI was modeled in the frozen range.
• Models allow the selection of TTI suitable for monitoring the quality of seafood in the frozen chain.
• Frozen seafood products (blueshark slices and arrow squid) were kinetically modeled.
• The effectiveness of the selected TTI for monitoring seafood quality in the frozen chain was validated.

Time Temperature Integrators (TTI) are smart labels designed to monitor food product temperature history, individually and cost-efficiently, and reflect quality throughout the cold chain. The objectives were the kinetic modeling of frozen blueshark slices and arrow squid quality and the selection of suitable TTI for monitoring them in the frozen chain. The response of UV activatable photochromic and enzymatic TTI was studied and modeled as a function of intensity of UV-activation or enzyme concentration. The TTI response was tailored to the several months of products' shelf-life. Temperature dependence of the TTI response, expressed by activation energy values (Ea) of 110 to 120 kJ/mol, was in the required range for correlation to the products' quality indices in the dynamic frozen chain. Selected TTI predicted the remaining shelf-life at cold chain simulating temperatures and their effectiveness for monitoring the selected frozen seafood products was validated.Industrial relevanceThe selection and use of the optimum TTI smart label for monitoring a target frozen food product allows reliable estimations of the quality status and the remaining shelf-life leading to improved management of the cold chain from production to the point of consumption.