Nowadays, there is an increasing demand for smart packaging materials capable of effectively monitoring the food freshness. In this study, new Co-based MOF (Co-BIT) microcrystals with ammonia-sensitivity and antibacterial function were constructed and then loaded within cellulose acetate (CA) matrix to create smart active packaging materials. The influences of Co-BIT loading upon structure, physical, and functional properties of the CA films were then thoroughly explored. It was observed that microcrystalline Co-BIT was uniformly integrated inside CA matrix, which caused significant promotions in mechanical strength (from 24.12 to 39.76 MPa), water barrier (from 9.32 × 10⁻⁶ to 2.73 × 10⁻⁶ g/m·h·Pa) and ultraviolet light protection performances of CA film. Additionally, the created CA/Co-BIT films displayed striking antibacterial efficacy (>95.0 % for both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus), favorable ammonia-sensitivity function as well as color stability. Finally, the CA/Co-BIT films were successfully applied for indicating the spoilage of shrimp through discernible color changes. These findings suggest that Co-BIT loaded CA composite films have great potential for use as smart active packaging.