advanced packaging technology annual

8/12/2019 Advanced Packaging Technology Annual

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2/16

M etabolix Antibiticos

Archer Daniels Midland

Metabolix moves into more developed

European bioplastics market
http://www.metabolix.com/http://www.antibioticos-sa.com/http://www.adm.com/http://www.adm.com/http://www.antibioticos-sa.com/http://www.metabolix.com/


3/16
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/http://www.efsa.europa.eu/


4/16

force

Pouch cocktailsand flavouredspirits turnpackaging designinto childs play

Jack Daniels

Bacardi

Rocktails

Mintel

Skinnygirl

Beam

Panel on Food Contact

Materials, Enzymes, Flavouringsand Processing Aids

food

EC 1935/2004

EC 2023/2006

EU 10/2011

food

quantity
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:086:0009:0018:EN:PDFhttp://www.jackdaniels.com/http://www.jackdaniels.com/http://www.bacardi.com/http://www.rocktails.co.uk/http://www.mintel.com/http://www.skinnygirlcocktails.com/http://www.beamglobal.com/http://www.beamglobal.com/http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/fip/cefpanelmembers.htmhttp://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/fip/cefpanelmembers.htmhttp://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/fip/cefpanelmembers.htmhttp://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2826.htmhttp://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2826.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/food/food/chemicalsafety/foodcontact/framework_en.htmhttp://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_packaging/l12076_en.htmhttp://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:2011R0010:20111230:EN:PDFhttp://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:2011R0010:20111230:EN:PDFhttp://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/plasticrecycling.htmhttp://ihcp.jrc.ec.europa.eu/our_labs/eurl_food_c_m/migration-methodshttp://ihcp.jrc.ec.europa.eu/our_labs/eurl_food_c_m/migration-methodshttp://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/plasticrecycling.htmhttp://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:2011R0010:20111230:EN:PDFhttp://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_packaging/l12076_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/food/food/chemicalsafety/foodcontact/framework_en.htmhttp://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2826.htmhttp://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/fip/cefpanelmembers.htmhttp://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/fip/cefpanelmembers.htmhttp://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/fip/cefpanelmembers.htmhttp://www.beamglobal.com/http://www.skinnygirlcocktails.com/http://www.mintel.com/http://www.rocktails.co.uk/http://www.bacardi.com/http://www.jackdaniels.com/http://www.jackdaniels.com/http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:086:0009:0018:EN:PDF


5/16

BuzzBallz

Cordina
http://www.buzzballz.com/http://www.bigeasyblends.com/http://www.bigeasyblends.com/http://www.buzzballz.com/


6/16

Walmart Winn-Dixie

Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage

Law Enforcement Commission

Flexible packagingmarkets recordsteady growth inUS and double-digit expansion inemerging countries

Flexible Packaging Association

PCI Films Consulting

Diageo

Smirnoff

here here

here here
http://www.walmart.com/https://www.winndixie.com/Pages/Home.aspxhttp://www.ok.gov/ablehttp://www.ok.gov/ablehttp://www.flexpack.org/http://www.pcifilms.com/http://www.diageo.com/en-row/Pages/default.aspxhttp://www.smirnoff.com/en-gb/http://www.packagingeurope.com/Packaging-Europe-News/49462/Luxury-going-for-green.htmlhttp://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/pro-pac-ready-to-wrap-up-deals-in-food-packaging/story-e6frg8zx-1226465080971http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-09-04/silgan-completes-acquisition-of-rexam-unithttp://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120904005519/en/Startup-WikiCell-Designs-Secures-10-Million-Investmenthttp://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120904005519/en/Startup-WikiCell-Designs-Secures-10-Million-Investmenthttp://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-09-04/silgan-completes-acquisition-of-rexam-unithttp://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/pro-pac-ready-to-wrap-up-deals-in-food-packaging/story-e6frg8zx-1226465080971http://www.packagingeurope.com/Packaging-Europe-News/49462/Luxury-going-for-green.htmlhttp://www.smirnoff.com/en-gb/http://www.diageo.com/en-row/Pages/default.aspxhttp://www.pcifilms.com/http://www.flexpack.org/http://www.ok.gov/ablehttp://www.ok.gov/ablehttps://www.winndixie.com/Pages/Home.aspxhttp://www.walmart.com/


7/16

Food scientists and packaging

developers must combine efforts tocut food waste. Helen Lewis reports


8/16

Vol 2 Issue 2

Researchers in the Milk Quality Improvement Program (funded by the New York State DairyPromotion Board) at Cornell believe thisknowledge can be used to protect the qualityand shelf life of dairy products.

Milk typically undergoes heat treatment(pasteurisation) to kill off microbes that cancause food spoilage and disease; but certainbacterial strains survive this treatment.

The Wiedmann and Boor team at Cornellhas been recruited by Upstate Niagara , acooperative of more than 360 dairy farmfamilies throughout western New York, tofurther improve the quality of their milk byassessing milk samples for spore-formers.

Data on samples that contained spore-forming bacteria are being analysed usingDNA fingerprinting, to identify the types oforganisms present and where they might havecome from. The aim is to create a model toapproach spore-forming bacteria in individualdairy processing plants.

Tackling typically short shelf life productslike milk is not just a priority in countries likethe US. In emerging markets like Kenya andIndia, manufacturers are in competition toproduce milk with the longest shelf life. Milkprocessors in emerging markets are investingin production upgrades to improve shelf lives,in combination with smart packaging.

Daima, the milk processing division of Sameer Agriculture and Livestock Kenya , completed a

any packaging developers arelaunching new technologies thatpromise to increase the shelf life

for various foodstuffs considerably. Manymore will appear in the coming years, as theneed for longer-life products meets with morechallenging supply chain conditions in high-growth markets like India.

However, the complex issue of extendingthe edible life of a fresh product cannot beanswered by a one-size-fits-all packagingsolution, much to the confusion of many foodproducers and brand owners.

Simply put, different foodstuffs requiredifferent levels of protection. R&D intothe way foodstuffs decay, combined with

developments in smart packaging, are definingthe next generation of shelf life enhancers.

Food scientists at New Yorks Cornell University published findings (in Applied Environmental

Microbiology , by the laboratory of Wiedmannand Kathryn Boor, the Ronald P Lynch Dean ofthe College of Agriculture and Life Sciences,March 2012) that identified the predominantstrains of spore-forming bacteria that causemilk and other food products to decay.

Paenibacillus bacteria are naturallyomnipresent and cause rancid flavours in

various foods, and curdling in dairy products. As spores, the bacteria can survive in dormantform for years, despite the best practices incleaning, processing and packaging.
http://foodscience.cornell.edu/cals/foodsci/extension/milk-quality-improvement-program.cfmhttp://foodscience.cornell.edu/cals/foodsci/extension/milk-quality-improvement-program.cfmhttp://www.upstateniagara.com/http://www.sameer-group.com/http://www.sameer-group.com/http://www.cornell.edu/http://www.cornell.edu/http://www.sameer-group.com/http://www.sameer-group.com/http://www.upstateniagara.com/http://foodscience.cornell.edu/cals/foodsci/extension/milk-quality-improvement-program.cfmhttp://foodscience.cornell.edu/cals/foodsci/extension/milk-quality-improvement-program.cfm


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Joe Iannidinardo, managing director of FaerchPlast in the UK, says: With Mapet II, insteadof adding a top layer, we have used a smallamount of special adhesive suitable for foodpackaging applications around the rim of eachtray to ensure that it can be sealed easily.

At the same time the quantity of adhesive is

so low that there will be no contaminationof the waste stream. Of course the fact thatthe trays are made using post-consumerrecycled materials gives them a very lowenvironmental footprint.

Realising such widescale adoption with ashelf life-extending material means reachingsensible costs and conforming to food safetyrequirements, all across different products.

Innovative ideas that assure food safety andimprove shelf life are to be welcomed. But,the benefits need to be assessed versus costof applying the technology. New technology

will not be widely used unless there is asignificant benefit to the consumer, saysPersis Subramaniam, team leader for productdevelopment at Leatherhead Food Research inthe UK.

The signs are that, contrary to some moves to

enhance shelf life with innovative packaging,certain businesses appear to heading in theopposite direction.

Materials cost is an important influencingfactor for brand owners. Interestingly, manycompanies are looking to downgrade theirpackaging, as they feel they may haveoverprotected their product. This would allowfor cost reduction, adds Subramaniam.

Certainly there is a perception of a costpremium associated with new materials that

KES 500 million ( 4.7 million) expansion andupgrade of a milk processing plant in Nairobiat the end of August 2012. According to acompany statement, the upgrade will make iteasier for the processor to offer a wide rangeof products, including a zero-bacteria, shelflife fresh N-Natural milk. This whole milk ispackaged in a 500ml UV-resistant and oxygenbarrier poly sachets.

Managing director Anand Gaggar says: Daima whole milk remains stable and safe throughits extended shelf life of 30 days, but shouldbe refrigerated after the packet is opened andthen must be used within four days.

In India, Dudhsagar Dairy recently introducedmilk treated at ultra-high temperatures, in

multi-layered pouches, with a shelf life of 90days at room temperature. Initially introducedin the Haryana region, the dairy is seekingto market it in other parts of India under the

Amul brand name.

Besides launching the product soon in thenational capital region through its Manesarplant in Haryana, the dairy is also looking tomarket it in other parts of the country andstate under the brand Amul.

The meat category is an important targetfor food and packaging scientists, due tothe potential of food poisoning if meat isconsumed past its use-by date. The issuehas gained European Union attention andinvestment in the form of the EU Meatcoat

project . One of the nine members is UKcompany Pepceuticals , which is working on aninvisible, edible, antimicrobial peptide coatingfor meat to extend shelf life without the

need for smart packaging. A prototype of thetransparent film is expected by mid-2013.

Other innovations include Faerch Plast s Mono Amorphous PET (Mapet) II, which launchedin the UK in August 2012 for the meat andpoultry market. The Danish company hascreated a single-substrate product that boaststhe same properties as multi-layer materials.

Faerch aims to establish the new technologyas an industry standard for plastics recycling.

Vol 2 Issue 2
http://www.leatherheadfood.com/http://www.dudhsagardairy.co.in/http://cordis.europa.eu/search/index.cfm?fuseaction=proj.document&PJ_RCN=12396577http://www.pepceuticals.co.uk/http://www.faerchplast.com/enhttp://www.faerchplast.com/enhttp://www.pepceuticals.co.uk/http://cordis.europa.eu/search/index.cfm?fuseaction=proj.document&PJ_RCN=12396577http://www.dudhsagardairy.co.in/http://www.leatherheadfood.com/


10/16

marking, depending on the nature of theproduct. The first marking must be indicatedby the words best before or best before end,followed by a date. The second marking mustbe indicated by the words use by, followed bya date.

Date labelling regulation has only recentlybeen introduced in South Africa, althoughbest before and use by were previously

commonplace on packs. The food labellingregulations, which came into force inMarch 2012, make it compulsory for foodmanufacturers to put date stamps on products,

with the exception of a few items, such ashoney; unprocessed, unpacked meat and freshproduce; vinegar and sweets.

Foods that have to be chilled, cookedproducts (pre-packed, prepared vegetablesand fruit), juices with a limited shelf lifeand similar items must carry a use-by date.

According to Subramaniam, the best before

extend shelf life.

Sirane manufactures Sira-Flex Resolve,a biopolymer developed to provide theoptimum balance between humidity controland oxygen/carbon dioxide permeability.The proposition of the material, targeted atfruit and vegetable producers, is to save on

wastage costs, says Mark Lingard, marketingmanager at Sirane.

Sira-Flex Resolve is more expensive, and we dont try to avoid that. However, thepotential cost savings in less fruit and

vegetable wastage massively outweigh theincreased cost, which is 2-3 times as much asalternatives, he remarks.

Lingard believes the active packaging is worththe premium price and confirms growinginterest from companies outside of the UK

with more challenging climate issues, such as Australia and Russia.

While we have claimed 25 days increasedshelf life, some trials in Australia on greenbeans have had a remarkable 22 daysincrease, which is largely a result of the

journey they were making by road across themiddle of Australia in searing temperatures,he adds.

When fruit and vegetables are transportedin this way Russia is another example of acountry that imports masses by road over longdistances often the shelf life by the timethe product actually reaches the shelf is veryshort. This is where Sira-Flex Resolve makes adifference.

Educating consumers with regards to foodhandling and clearer labelling will reduce

waste, without the need for packaging or foodscience discoveries and innovations.

For example, fruit and vegetables are oftenthrown away whilst they still remain edible,and this waste can be significantly reduced

without much effort, says Subramaniam.

UK food labelling rules require most pre-packed foodstuffs to carry a durability mark.This can be either one or two types of date

Vol 2 Issue 2
http://www.sirane.com/http://www.sirane.com/


11/16

or composted, while almost 1.5 million tonnes(43%) is thrown away, mainly to landfill.

The voluntary agreement, which wasdeveloped with industry and UK, Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland governments,builds on Wraps research, and work alreadybeing undertaken by the sector to tackle

waste. It also delivers on all four governmentscommitments to tackle waste and carbon.

Other regulations expected to spurdevelopments from packaging and foodscientists include the imminent ban oncommercial food waste entering landfill, inMassachusetts, US, from 2014. The proposedrules prevent hospitals, universities, hotels,large restaurants, and other large businessesand institutions from discarding food waste.

The fact is that R&D into packaging thatprolongs a products edible life will continueas long a return on investment exists. Recentdata from Nielsen Perishables for July 2010to July 2011 shows sales of produce inclamshells and bags continue to increase atthe expense of counterparts sold loose.

That there is no one-size-fits-all approachmeans many more innovations are on thehorizon. Particularly as expanding middle

classes in high-growth regions seek toconsume new products, demand for long shelflife packaging will increase

date is not an accurate reflection of theinformation it promises.

Whilst it is true that products which showa best before date remain edible beyondthe date, the manufacturers have to takeresponsibility for the quality at the point ofconsumption and they want their products toalways be consumed at the best, or at least aminimum level of acceptability, he explains.

Manufacturers will not want their products tobe associated with low quality and thereforethe shelf life is often set to ensure that theproduct remains at a high quality level overthe entire shelf life. This then becomes acompromise between quality and waste.

Mina Holland, journalist at UK newspaperthe Guardian , echoes Subramaniam, writingin her blog Bin the best before, not the food:Societys adherence to best before labels issymptomatic of our over-sanitised attitudes tofood today and a culprit in creating Britains5.3 million tonnes of food waste each year.

Consumers are fooled into throwing perfectlygood produce away simply because there aretoo many dates on the packaging.

Of course, post-harvest, pre-retail food wasteis also substantial: Martin Wiedmann, foodscience professor and co-author of the Cornellstudy, puts the figure at 25%. This is why foodscientists are investing time and money intoresearching how to prevent fresh produce suchas milk from spoiling.

Momentum to reduce food waste is spurredon by regulation and industry accords, like the

new Hospitality and Food Service Agreement,launched by the UKs Waste Resources Action

Programme (Wrap) in June 2012.

The agreement aims to cut food andassociated packaging waste by 5% (anestimated carbon dioxide reduction of 234,000tonnes), equivalent to around 100 millionmeals. It estimates that more than3.4 million tonnes of waste (typically food,glass, paper and card) is produced by hotels,pubs and restaurants each year. Of this,1.6 million tonnes (47%) is recycled, reused

Vol 2 Issue 2
http://www.perishablesgroup.com/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/apr/19/best-before-label-foodhttp://www.wrap.org.uk/http://www.wrap.org.uk/http://www.wrap.org.uk/http://www.wrap.org.uk/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/apr/19/best-before-label-foodhttp://www.perishablesgroup.com/


12/16

With new advances in printedelectronics, packaging will nolonger be passive, but soon actively

communicate with its environment.Dave Howell reports


13/16

Vol 2 Issue 2

Functions like wirelessly communicating whena packs contents are approaching their use-by date, or allowing consumers to get moreinformation via the near-field communicationcapability of their smartphone, are amongthose now being created for smart packaging.

Companies across the supply chain for suchdevices are already forming partnershipsto prepare themselves to deliver volumeproducts to market. Printed memory firmThin Film Electronics (Thinfilm) and packagingfirm Bemis are collaborating on a project todeliver a sensor platform for food and pharmasuppliers, an early sign that such emergingtechnologies are gaining traction in thepackaging supply chain.

Henry Theisen, Bemis president and CEO,notes: Intelligent packaging is an emergingtechnology, with many potential intersections

with Bemiss flexible packaging and pressure-sensitive materials business segments.

Thinfilm also recently announced work withthe Palo Alto Research Centre in California,US, on a new temperature sensor technologyto monitor oxygen content. The device istargeted at applications in medical, pharmaand food markets.

The market already has some forms of semi-intelligent packaging from companies likeStora Enso and MeadWestvaco in the pharmasector that can track whether the prescriptionusers have taken their medications.

ack design is entering a new era.What was once simply an inertform factor is about to spring into

life thanks to advances in film technology,printable power sources and electronics.

These technologies are converging to the point where products can communicate with eachstep of the supply chain to the end consumer.
http://www.thinfilm.no/http://www.bemis.com/http://www.parc.com/http://www.storaenso.com/http://www.meadwestvaco.com/http://www.meadwestvaco.com/http://www.storaenso.com/http://www.parc.com/http://www.bemis.com/http://www.thinfilm.no/


14/16

conventional techniques and the printedconductive ink is designed so that tracks

follow the contours of the form factor.

Don Banfield, product manager of ConductiveCompounds, says: These moldable inksoffer design engineers options to incorporatecircuitry in products without having to relyon attachment of other materials to a moldedpart. The benefits of cost reduction, reduced

weight, lower profiles and new design optionsin molded assemblies are extremely attractive.

The cost of producing conductive inks canbe high because of the silver content thatmany contain. Many developers are lookingat alternatives and means to reduce the costof these inks. UK firm Intrinsiq is working ona conductive copper ink, while a consortiumof European businesses are partnered on theEU-funded Conductive Low-cost Ink Project ,

which is due to conclude in 2012.

In August 2012 Applied Nanotech announcedthe availability of a new copper ink material

that has already been successfully printedonto a number of substrates including PET,PEN, polycarbonate, ABS, and even epoxy-based FR4 circuit board material.

Microcopper inks fill a need for lower-costconductive materials used for applicationssuch as smart cards, RFID antennas,touchscreens and sensors in smartphones,

just to name a few, explains James Novak,director of the nanoelectronics division at

Applied Nanotech.

These first-generation smart packagingdevelopments are just the start. Some ofthe technologies now moving to market willdictate the way in which the packaging supplychain of the future works.

The overall market forecast for smartpackaging is considerable. MarketResearch estimates it will worth $16.8 billion( 13 billion) by 2018. Current market valueis estimated to be $8.5 billion.

Much of the smart packaging technologythat will begin appearing is the product ofinnovations with printed electronics andconductive inks, which have continued toevolve for the past five years. The currentmarket value for conductive inks is estimated

by IDTechEx to be $2.9 billion, with themarket expected to reach a value of $3.4billion by 2018.

The imminent development of smartpackaging is complemented by the culturaladoption of increasingly ubiquitous andembedded intelligence, sometimes describedas the Internet of things .

Smart pack design will tap into the wirelessdata and communications infrastructure that

will emerge as a result. In essence, smartpackaging that will come to market at a time

when the connected environment aroundthem will be a platform for packaging tocommunicate with its surroundings.

RFID technology failed to become aspervasive as once was considered possible,though the goal of equipping any object

with communications capability remains an

appealing one for packaging firms.

For these ideas to become a reality, convertersmust have the tools they need to develop thenew packaging materials designers can use forthe next generation of smart packaging.

Electronics assembly materials suppliersConductive Components announced a new rangeof conductive inks developed for rigid plasticsubstrates earlier in 2012. The innovationcomes after the printing is complete. Thesheets of substrate can be molded using

Vol 2 Issue 2
http://www.intrinsiqmaterials.com/http://www.clip-fp7.eu/http://www.appliednanotech.net/http://www.marketresearch.com/http://www.idtechex.com/http://www.theinternetofthings.eu/http://www.conductivecompounds.com/http://www.conductivecompounds.com/http://www.theinternetofthings.eu/http://www.idtechex.com/http://www.marketresearch.com/http://www.appliednanotech.net/http://www.clip-fp7.eu/http://www.intrinsiqmaterials.com/


15/16

And the ink retains all the key advantages ofnanomaterial-based copper ink, such as low-temperature sintering and ease of application.

Many of the functions planned for smartpackaging are based on existing techniques.

Already available are antimicrobial systems,time-temperature and gas indicators, as

well as thermochromic inks. What smartpackaging offers is to give these technologiescommunication capabilities.

Already biosensors and pathogen detectorshave been proposed. Cost factors have beena difficult barrier to break, with members ofthe supply chain reluctant to shoulder anyadditional cost burden. Buy in by members

of the supply chain and consumers alike willbe key if smart packaging is to deliver newand commercially viable technologies to thepackaging industry.

Says Eef de Ferrante, managing director atthe Active and Intelligent Packaging Industry

Association : The technology and infrastructureis there, but the way of thinking and islandculture within the supply chain is still anobstacle. But two of our members in transportand logistics are extremely interested to makeuse of the technologies and to overview theentire market.

The current barrier is still technology. Its not100% available and ready-to-market. Again,give us some time and it will be done. But

we invite all other converter to set up jointoperations with technology providers. Waitingis not an option anymore.

Communication can also be via a display.

Retail in particular is looking at howinteractive displays could be used, althoughthis faces even more acute cost pressures.

Jayna Sheats, CTO at Terepac says: OrganicLEDs and reflective displays like E Ink s arelikely to proliferate rapidly in the near future.Other printed displays electrochromic, forexample show strong promise.

While interactive displays would be a longer-term area for smart packaging, they hint atthe wider opportunities on the horizon, once

Vol 2 Issue 2

initial applications have been enabled bycompetitively priced and reliable volumes ofsmart packaging materials.

Scott White, CEO at printed logic start-up PragmatIC Printing , highlights the securityand branding opportunities smart packagingtechnology could deliver: Printed electronicscan enable unique interactive visual featuresthat are easy to understand but hard tocopy to a large extent taking over the rolehistorically filled by holographic and optically

variable films, which have now become too

Bare Conductive

Uniform
http://www.aip-worldcongress.org/http://www.aip-worldcongress.org/http://www.terepac.com/http://www.eink.com/http://www.pragmaticprinting.com/http://www.bareconductive.com/http://www.uniform.net/http://www.uniform.net/http://www.bareconductive.com/http://www.pragmaticprinting.com/http://www.eink.com/http://www.terepac.com/http://www.aip-worldcongress.org/http://www.aip-worldcongress.org/


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Nevertheless the technological componentsneeded to realise these concepts in volumemarkets do still require refinement. Cost isstill an issue too. Yet as more high-profilefirms in the packaging supply chain work withthese technologies and begin to apply themin branded products, some of the enormousmarket potential of these technologies willbecome apparent to those not yet engaging insmart packaging initiatives

hard to distinguish, or too easy to copy formany applications.

In its own efforts to commercialise its printedlogic in packaging, PragmatIC is partnered

with the likes of US firm Illinois Tool Works and substrate supplier Innovia Films to create a

value chain.

While companies like Thinfilm and PragmatICare working with the supply chain to achieveearly applications for smart packaging, wideruses in some lucrative application areas willrely on the market as a whole moving inresponse to enabling technology.

Chip Tonkin, director of the Sonoco Institute

of Packaging Design and Graphics at ClemsonUniversity in the US, points out potentialreliability and responsibility hurdles that maydeter potential technology integrators.

Our lab has seen many innovations, but itdoes seem that for this technology to enterthe marketplace, legislation may be needed.

At the moment there are a number of liabilityissues around the use of food freshnessindicators, for instance, that are preventingthis technology becoming more widespread,he notes.

Another challenge is providing power forthrowaway packs with so much addedfunctionality. Aside from clear environmentalconcerns, printed and flexible batteries needfurther work to become market-ready (see

Advanced Packaging Technology World 1.3).

Smart packaging start-ups like Printechnologics have the capability to encode some digital

data onto a packaging substrate without theneed for transistors. And some interactivity ispossible with RF-based electronics that harvesttheir power from the reader. RF looks likely tobe the first widely adopted smart packagingtechnology for this reason. Other options, likeinductive coupling, would mean new shelvingin stores that can transmit power to packs,

which is a barrier to widescale adoption.

Smart packagings appeal has become moreapparent recently as start-ups started securinghigh-profile packaging industry partners.

Vol 2 Issue 2
http://www.itw.com/http://www.innoviafilms.com/http://sonocoinstitute.com/http://sonocoinstitute.com/http://www.printechnologics.com/http://www.printechnologics.com/http://sonocoinstitute.com/http://sonocoinstitute.com/http://www.innoviafilms.com/http://www.itw.com/

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