One of the most important parts of any industry is the packaging, which is also one of the most complicated parts. It’s not just the choice of material that affects the packaging industries. Rather, the quality of the packages, the labeling, the transports, and similar sorts of factors are responsible for affecting the growth of this industry. And when we are talking about food packaging, everything is simply heightened, thanks to the fact that poor quality or improper packaging will lead to the decline of the industry.
With this in mind, new technologies are evolving which are promising to change the current scenario of the industry. In fact, these technologies are such that they can produce packaging materials with thinness ten times greater than a human hair. So, let’s have a look at the recent technological additions to the food packaging industry.
MICRO PACKAGE
Approved by FAD, the microfilms are completely made of water-soluble polymer and clay, the latter, however, constitutes around seventy percent of the total composition. The main factor which is fuelling the research works on this field is the zeal to make eco-friendly packages. If you have ever heard of Bayer, then kudos to their expertise minds as they have already developed their nano-film version named as Durethan. Nanocor has also developed another nanotechnology food packaging film using only clay which is capable of enhancing the shelf life of beers up to 18 months.
ANTI-MICROBIAL PACKAGES
When we are considering the biscuit packaging industry, one of the growing concerns is the microbial infestation on the baked foods. This has fuelled the need to consider anti-microbial packaging films which will thereby reduce the risks of microbe growth. Ronen Gottesman, an Israel based student has designed his special ‘killer paper’ which will keep the germ multiplication at bay with the help of the silver nanoparticle coating.
SMART PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY
After smartphones and smart houses, it’s time for introducing the new genre of smart technology- the smart packages. These packages will be integrated with a type of technology which will be able to notify the users or consumers about the state of the food inside. A group of researchers has already started working on this specific technology, where the packet will change its color once the sensor inside senses the food is contaminated. The demand for such technology is increasing on the military level for multiple security reasons.
WATER-SOLUBLE PACKAGES
Monosol, an US manufacturing company of water-soluble materials has come up with the idea of making water-soluble packages for foods which are meant to be mixed with water, like tea bags, soup sachets, and so on. Although the marketing of the product is yet to be done, there are high chances that the company will be successful in creating a new phase of the technology without compromising the contamination factor.
SELF-TEMPERATURE CONTROL PACKAGES
Though the market of the self-heating or self-cooling packaging methods is not so popular or profit-earning, efforts are ongoing t0 popularizing them without harming the market price of the foods. Microcool is one such food packaging technology which can reduce the inside temperature by thirty degrees Fahrenheit I just a couple of minutes. Another such self-heating technology is the HeatGenie designed by Crown Holdings. This packaging system can heat the entire thing up to 145 degrees Fahrenheit within two minutes.
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