Abstract
This study quantified the acceptability of smart food packaging technologies and determined their associations with sociodemographic, attitudinal, and behavioral characteristics of consumers in China. Two quantitative surveys were conducted using an intercept method in Beijing with one for intelligent food packaging and the other for active food packaging. Chi‐square tests of independence and contingency tables were used to determine the acceptability of smart food packaging and significant associations with multiple variables. Smart packaging was accepted by 56% of participants in both surveys. Marital status and employment status were associated with the acceptance of active packaging, while consumer interactions with current food packaging were associated with the acceptance of intelligent packaging. Acceptance of both active and intelligent packaging was associated with trust in multiple institutions. This study is the first to provide broad information about Chinese consumers' acceptance of smart packaging technologies for food products. Findings from this research can contribute to further detailed consumer studies in product‐specific packaging designs.
Highlights
Food safety, the assurance that a food product will not cause harm if ingested according to its intended use, is a global issue that affects consumer health in industrialized and developing countries (Lam, Remais, Fung, Xu, & Sun, 2013)
Results indicated that when participants were presented with product-specific applications, there was increased acceptance when compared with questioning without specific application
Further significant association was found between Intelligent packaging (IP) acceptance and checking dates printed on packaging, χ2 (4, N = 224) = 15.255, p =
Summary
The assurance that a food product will not cause harm if ingested according to its intended use, is a global issue that affects consumer health in industrialized and developing countries (Lam, Remais, Fung, Xu, & Sun, 2013). While inert or traditional food packaging has provided protection for food items, complexities in distribution and consumer demand have resulted in an extensive exploration into novel food packaging techniques These packaging techniques, often classified as “smart packaging,” encompass both active and intelligent packaging technologies (Vanderroost, Ragaert, Devlieghere, & De Meulenaer, 2014). Active packaging (AP) involves the interaction between the product, the package, and the environment (Biji, Ravishankar, Mohan, & Srinivasa Gopal, 2015; Dobrucka & Przekop, 2019) It aims to extend shelf life, maintain nutritional and organoleptic quality, inhibit pathogenic and spoilage microorganism growth, and prevent the migration of contaminants (Altan, Aytac, & Uyar, 2018; Guo, Jin, Wang, Scullen, & Sommers, 2014; Sohail, Sun, & Zhu, 2018). Information concerning the origin, composition, storage condition, headspace composition, and microbial growth are all involved in IP (Aday & Yener, 2015; Lloyd et al, 2019; Realini & Marcos, 2014; Robertson, 2012; Yam, 2012)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
