A biocompatible and edible colorimetric timer is obtained by exploiting the dynamic color adjustments of the cholesteric liquid crystalline mesophases of the Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) in aqueous suspensions. The edible timer is encapsulated between semi-permeable membranes product of shellac. The cholesteric organisation of the HPC supplied vibrant colouration, whereas the shellac layers allowed tuning of the evaporation price of water from the mesophase, which leads to a color change. As a result of biocompatibility of the parts and the direct read-out of the system, i.e. the color change could be visually detected, the developed timer could be applied as a colorimetric sensor with the potential for use in meals packaging, and as a sensible labelling system
