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Smart, Active & Intelligent Packaging
Smart, Active & Intelligent Packaging
Smart Packaging
Smartness in Packaging
Broad term covering a number of functionalities
Depending on the product being packaged
Example of current & future functional smartness:
Retain integrity and actively prevent food spoilage (shelf life)
Enhance product attributes ( look, taste, flavor, aroma)
Respond actively to changes in product or package environment
Communicate product information, history or condition to user
Assist with opening and seal integrity
Confirm product authenticity and act to counter theft
Definitions
Passive
They function only as an inert barrier to protect the product against oxygen and moisture
Act as a passive barrier to separate a product from its environment
Active Packaging
Differs from conventional passive packaging in that one or more forms of interaction planned
Active functions beyond the inert passive containment and protection of the product
Interacts directly with the product and/or its environment to improve one or more nutritional, quality and safety
factors.
Smart/Intelligent Packaging
Involves the ability to sense or measure an attribute if the product, the inner atmosphere of the package or the
shipping environment.
Packaging which senses a situation and provide information such as quality, environment, location, safety, history &
etc.
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Smart Packaging
System
Active Packaging
Explanation/Mechanism/Examples
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Smart Packaging
Intelligent Packaging
Goals
Improve product quality & product value, for example quality indicators, temperatures and TTIs and gas concentration
indicators
Provide more convenience, for example quality, distribution and preparation/cooking methods
Provide protection against theft, counterfeiting & tampering
System
Quality
Indicators
Time
Temperature
Indicators
Gas
Concentration
Indicators
Thermochromi
c Inks
Microbial
Growth
Indicators
Leakage
indicator
Self
Heating/Self
Cooling
Intelligent Packaging
Explanation/Mechanism
Indicate if the quality of the product has become unacceptable during storage, transport, retailing and in
consumers homes
Undergo color change that remains permanent and is easy to read & interpret by consumers
Kimchi Freshness Indicator color indicator developed to monitor the ripeness of commercial kimchi
products during distribution & sales
RipeSense Enable consumers to choose fruits that best appeals to their taste
It detects aroma compounds given off by the fruit as it ripens, changing the label on the package through a
range of color from red (firm) through orange to yellow (juicy).
Pears was trialed first, as its very hard for consumers to assess the ripeness of pears
Device that shows an irreversible change in a physical characteristics (color/shape) in response to
temperature history
Small adhesive labels attached onto shipping containers or individual consumer packages
Provide visual indications of temperature history during distribution & storage, which is particularly useful
for warning of temperature abuse in chilled or frozen food products.
Monitors perishable foods such as fish, fruits and vegetables
Indicate the presence or absence of gas
Most common oxygen indicator is pink when the oxygen concentration is < 0.1 %
Turning blue when the oxygen concentration is > 0.5%
Such indicators indicates effective absorption of all oxygen and to warn if there is a breakdown in oxygen
barrier
Temperature sensitive inks
Printed onto labels or containers that are to be heated or cooled prior to consumption to indicate ideal
drinking temperature of the product
Inks change color hidden messages such as drink now or too hot become visible
Rapid microbiological indicators and sensors
Biosensors : Uses biomolecular recognition antigen-antibody, Phage capture spores, bacteria
Highly specific
Others: Respond to amine and sulfide from spoilage
Use colorimetrically signal seafood MO spoilage ( Commercial)
Attached to the packaging to ensure the integrity of the package in the distribution chain
Normally used in MAP of meat product
Provide information about the oxygen & carbon dioxide leakage in meat products
Uses the reaction of quicklime & a water based solution to create heat
Sake, coffee, tea & ready meals
Self-cooling utilizes endothermic reaction based on dissolution of ammonium nitrate & ammonium
chloride in water
Principle/reagents
Application
Time-temperature
indicator
Mechanical, chemical,
enzymatic
Storage conditions
Oxygen indicator
Storage conditions
package leak
Foods stored in
packages with reduced
oxygen concentration
Indicator of CO2
chemical
Storage conditions
package leak
Microbial growth
pH dyes,
Microbial quality of
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Smart Packaging
indicators MO
Freshness indicators
Pathogen indicators
(int.)
Specific pathogenic
bacteria such as
E. coli O157
Food packaging technologies that rely on mixtures of the atmospheric gases ; oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen in
concentration different that those in air
Sometime, add: Carbon monoxide, ethanol, sulfur dioxide and argon
Rely on gases that are safe, common, cheap, readily available & usually not considered as chemical additives
Proper marriage of food, gas mixture & package type is crucial
To retard the deterioration processes in foods
Maintain the foods in a fresh state From extended distribution marketing chains
Rigorous temperature control often necessary ; cold chain management
The benefits of MAP technology to the manufacturer, retailer as well as consumer far outweigh the drawbacks. Nevertheless
some critical points should be considered in this technology. The following list some advantages and disadvantages of MAP.
Advantage
Increased shelf-life allowing lesser frequency of loading
of retail display shelves.
Improved presentation of the product
Hygienic stackable pack sealed and free from product
drip and odor
Shelf-life can be increase by 50 to 400%.
Reduction in production and storage costs due to better
utilization of space and
equipment
Disadvantage
Capital cost of gas packaging machinery
Increased pack volume increases transport costs and
retail display space
Cost of gases and packaging materials
Temperature control is of critical importance and, by
itself, has a greater impact than atmosphere
modification for most products
Potential growth of food borne pathogens due to nonmaintenance of required storage temperature by
retailers and consumers.
Carbon
Dioxide
Nitrogen
Carbon
Monoxide
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spoilage of meats
Sulfur Dioxide Control growth or mold & bacteria on a number of soft fruits, eg Grapes & dried fruits
Also in fruit juices, wine, shrimp, pickles and some sausages
SO2 + H2O Sulfite compound solution inhibitory to bacteria in acidic condition
Hypersensitivity Sulfite allergy
Ethanol
Antifungal activity
Baked goods in Japan to reduce MO spoilage
Enhance freshness of tomatoes
Act as flavor enhancer for other fruits
Argon
Noble gas
May have antimicrobial effect
Vacuum Packaging
High O2 MAP
Low O2 MAP
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Rigid trays with nylon/LDPE/ PVC/PVDC lid stock
Laminated films made from Nylon/polyethylene, nylon/PVDC/PE or nylon/EVOH/PE have also been used
50-100% CO2 + 0.5% N2 shelf life extension up to several months
Respiration
(Detail problem)
Ethylene
( Ripening)
Detail problem)
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O2 during package
The produce is put inside in a bag and the air in the bag is replaced with air that has the proper mixture of
O2 & CO2
Time required to increase CO2 & decrease O2 for active MA shorter than passive MA
Examples
Storage of grapes in 80% O2 or 40% O2 + 30% CO2 improved berry hardness, springiness, chewiness,
flavors over controlled stored in air
Avacado, showed potential for long term storage ==> up to 9w weeks under MAP in commercial
application
Banana reducing O2 (2.5-5%) & increasing CO2 suppressed respiration rate of banana
As a result of
Slows down the respiration of the product
Thus increases shelf life, increase freshness
MAP
Retards produce ripening by inhibiting both the production & action of ethylene
Factor affecting Temperature control is important as produce are sensitive to temperatures: Biological reaction rises 2-3
MAP
fold for every 10C rise in T.
Film permeability increases as Temperature increases
Low RH increase transpiration damage & lead to desiccation, increased respiration
High in package humidity condensation on the film driven by T