Hongkun Xue, Junyao Feng, Bozhao Zhang, Kaifang Xie, Xiaojun Liao, Jiaqi Tan
With the intensification of the global plastic pollution crisis and the escalation of consumers' concern for food safety, marine polysaccharide-based intelligent food packaging (MPIFP) materials have become a research hotspot in the field of food science due to their renewability, degradability, and multifunctionality. Marine polysaccharides are mainly used to construct functionalized network structures through three cross-linking methods (physical, chemical, and enzymatic cross-linking), thereby forming films. In addition, traditional and novel preparation techniques offer diverse options for the preparation of marine polysaccharide-based films (MPFs). The introduction of indicators, sensors, and data carriers can endow MPFs with intelligent response properties, which contribute to them demonstrating great potential in monitoring food quality, extending shelf life, and providing consumer information. Currently, MPIFP has commercial cases. However, the industrialization of MPIFP still faces many challenges. Hence, this paper systematically reviews the molecular properties of marine polysaccharides and introduces the film-forming mechanisms and preparation techniques of MPFs. In addition, this review illustrates the innovative applications of MPFs in intelligent packaging. Furthermore, this paper systematically reviews the current status of intelligent packaging technology in the commercial field, as well as the advantages and industrialization challenges of MPFs. This review innovatively integrates the film-forming mechanism of marine polysaccharides, advanced preparation techniques, and their multifunctional integrated applications in indicators, sensors, and data carriers, and addresses the practical issues of industrialization, which provides cross-disciplinary and full-chain theoretical references and practical guidance for the material design, process optimization, and commercialization path of MPFs.