Major Technical Challenges to Overcome for Successful Exploitation of Active and Intelligent Packaging Technologies

Abstract

Active and Intelligent packaging (AIP) technologies have huge potentials to optimise the food supply chain, to better preserve the quality of the food and enhance the consciousness of the utilisation of food. During the last decades, an extensive research on AIP technologies is being undertaken. However, only very few of these technologies have been implemented successfully in commercial food packaging systems. To identify the key technical, social, economic and legislative factors relevant for a successful development of AIP solutions, a knowledge- based network, European COST Action “Active and intelligent fibre-based packaging - innovation and market introduction (ActInPak)” has been initiated. Currently, 43 countries are involved in the network, with participants representing 209 academic institutions, 35 technical centres, and 83 industrial partners. Among the hurdles for commercial exploitation of AIP technologies, technological challenges are very crucial for successful development of such solutions. Within the COST Action, AIP technologies have been reviewed to identify the most promising technologies. Afterwards, through expert panel discussions and workshops with participants from academic institutions and industrial partners, major technological challenges for successful implementation of such AIP technologies have been identified and discussed in depth. The major technological challenges have been classified as; -Active component: Availability, storage, release, consistence, quality -Intelligent component: Resources, reliability, quality, stability -Integration in packaging: Integration methods, stability of active or intelligent component, activation -Packaging of food: Interaction with food, organoleptic, food safety -Logistic: Information flow, storage conditions, shelf life, sensitivity, deactivation -Quality control: Stability of AIP, quality control at suppliers, producers, food packers, and consumers -End of life: Recyclability, environmental impact, food waste