The Future of Active and Intelligent Packaging in Food and Drinks: Enabling technologies, optimized consumption and multi-sensory features

Awareness and interest in active and intelligent packaging is growing. Government funded projects which aim to introduce, evaluate, or initiate developments in active and intelligent packaging have been implemented. However, in the survey of food and drinks industry executives carried out for this report, 57.3% of respondents were “not at all aware” or “slightly aware” of active and intelligent packaging. These results indicate that awareness and understanding of active and intelligent packaging innovations and their resulting benefits will need to increase in order to facilitate more extensive uptake of these technologies.

The focus of active and intelligent packaging has moved from specific retailer and manufacturer driven benefits like shelf-life extension and spoilage protection, to include more consumer focused benefits such as freshness, quality and information. A range of diverse technologies and sectors are now relevant for active and intelligent packaging in food and drinks.

This report focuses on active and intelligent packaging developments within the food and drinks market, and also provides relevant examples from other sectors (personal care and OTC healthcare). The report highlights the innovative trends, translating technical capabilities and features into likely commercial opportunities. New products and technologies are evaluated, and the potential benefits to consumers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers are highlighted. This report provides a unique perspective on new food and drinks product launches with respect to packaging innovations that can be described as active or intelligent.

Key findings...

In the survey carried out for this report, 85.3% of executives stated that active and intelligent packaging will have ‘some’ or ‘a large’ impact on innovation within the food and drinks sector over the next five years.

According to the industry survey, freshness and quality indicators, temperature and time indicators, flavor and aroma releasing technologies, natural antimicrobials, self-heating and cooling technologies, were identified as the most important innovations for consumers over the next five years.

Food safety and traceability, food wastage and environmental concerns are influencing the uptake of active and intelligent packaging technologies in the food and drinks sector.

9% of all new food and drinks products launched over the period 2006 to 2009 were tagged with ‘fresh’, ‘freshness’, or related terms. 3.2% of new products launched were tagged with the term ‘quality’.

Use this report to...+

• Understand the scope of active and intelligent packaging and the range of applications within the food and drinks sector.

• Evaluate the market potential for active and intelligent packaging in the food and drinks sector in terms of benefits offered and relevance by category.

• Assess how key food and drinks manufacturers are using active and intelligent technologies to improve efficiencies, differentiate products and develop new products.

• Gain insights into active and intelligent packaging NPD trends and how these products have been promoted.

• Identify the future applications of active and intelligent packaging for consumers, retailers, distributors and manufacturers.

• Understand the key opportunities for and challenges against active and intelligent packaging within the food and drinks sector.

Key issues...

The focus of active and intelligent packaging has moved from specific retailer and manufacturer driven benefits like shelf-life extension and spoilage protection, to include more consumer focused benefits such as freshness, quality and information.

Food manufacturers work within global supply chains and need to find methods for ensuring the safety and traceability of foods produced and distributed within these chains. Intelligent packaging has a role to play in traceability and safety systems, as packaging and/or labelling is the most logical place to hold traceability information.

Reducing food waste has become an important issue in many parts of the world. Active and intelligent packaging technologies can extend product shelf-life and help reduce wastage by clarifying the suitability of a product for consumption.

Reduction of packaging waste has become a major issue for consumers and society and is the subject of much lobbying and government initiatives. Given this context, developments within active and intelligent packaging need to fit into packaging waste management expectations.

The development of smaller, cheaper and more flexible electronic components will increase the potential for sophisticated ‘smart’ tags and sensors to be used on individual packs, and has the potential to accelerate the uptake of sound and light elements in packaging.


Report Highlights

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The Future of Active and Intelligent Packaging
Executive summary 10
Active and intelligent packaging in food and drinks 10
Functionalities, applications, and technologies 11
Active and intelligent packaging market analysis 12
Innovation and NPD 12
The future of active and intelligent packaging in food and drinks 14
Chapter 1 Active and intelligent packaging in food and drinks 16
Summary 16
Introduction 17
Defining active and intelligent packaging 17
The benefits for food and drinks – older and newer concepts 18
Scope and structure of this report 23
Methodology 23
Chapter 2 Functionalities, applications, and technologies 26
Summary 26
Introduction 27
Functionalities 27
Sensing 29
Scavenging 30
Incorporating functionality within or on to the packaging 30
Releasing 33
Masking 34
Modifying/enhancing 35
Communicating 36
Interacting 37
Innovations in enabling technologies 39
Indicators 41
Time-temperature indicators 41
Freshness, quality and related indicators 45
Flavor and aroma releasing technologies 47
Self-heating and cooling technologies 48
Self-heating 48
Self-cooling 49
Modified atmosphere packaging and related technologies 51
Bioactive polymers 52
Immobilized enzymes 53
Natural antimicrobials 53
Data storage, traceability and communication 54
2D data codes 54
RFID 55
Other core technologies 57
Nanotechnology 57
Printed electronics and e-packaging 59
Chapter 3 Active and intelligent packaging market analysis 62
Summary 62
Introduction 63
Drivers of active and intelligent packaging uptake 63
Food safety and traceability 64
Food wastage 65
Environmental impact 66
Development of cheaper and smaller electronic components 67
Consumer demand for product information 68
Internet access and cell phone usage 68
Creating the optimal consumption experience 70
Trends towards “naturalness” 70
Market potential 71
Food and and drinks market value 71
Opportunities for active and intelligent packaging by benefit and category 73
Opportunities by benefit 73
Opportunities by food and drink category 78
Key player innovations 80
Food and drinks manufacturers 81
The Coca-Cola Company 81
Unilever 81
Kraft Foods 82
Nestlé 82
Packaging manufacturers 83
Tetra Pak 83
Amcor 84
Cryovac Sealed Air Ltd. 85
Summary of key player innovations 86
Chapter 4 Innovation and NPD 88
Summary 88
Introduction 88
Freshness, shelf-life and monitoring 89
Controlling ripening/extending shelf-life – active packaging 89
Atmospheric control 89
Oxygen scavenging 91
Pack design 92
Monitoring the product – intelligent packaging 92
Freshness 92
Temperature 94
Amount of product left 96
Convenience 97
Self-cooling 97
Self-heating 98
Optimizing consumption 101
Consuming at the correct temperature 102
Keeping cool 102
Keeping warm 105
Enhancing attributes of microwaved products 105
Grilling, crisping and browning 105
Steaming 107
Releasing and mixing just before consumption 108
Authentic or accurate product delivery 112
Allowing improved communication, interactivity and/or multi-sensory features 114
Interactivity 114
For fun 114
Multi-use design 116
Customization 118
Multi-sensory 119
Aroma 119
Audio and video 120
Light 121
Insights from recent product launches 124
Chapter 5 The future of active and intelligent packaging in food and drinks 128
Summary 128
Introduction 128
A view of the future 129
Consumers 130
Distributors and retailers 130
Food and drinks manufacturers 131
Opportunities and challenges 132
Opportunities 132
Delivering core consumer benefits 132
Increasing efficiencies within the value chain 133
Challenges 134
Validation 134
Cost 134
Consumer mistrust 135
Safety and regulation 135
Environmental concerns 136
Conclusions 137
Index 138
References 139
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Table 3.1: Mobile penetration per 100 people (absolute), 2003-2010 69
Table 3.2: Internet users as a % of total population (absolute), 2003-2010 69
Table 3.3: The natural (excluding organic) food and drinks market in Europe and US, by key product categories, ($bn), 2000-2010 70
Table 3.4: Industry executives’ opinion of the companies/brands which are driving innovation within active intelligent packaging of food and drinks 80
Figure 1.1: Examples of historical vs. future perspectives for active and intelligent packaging in food and drinks 20
Figure 1.2: Industry executives’ awareness of active and intelligent packaging innovations within the food and drinks sector 21
Figure 1.3: Industry executives’ perception of the impact of active and intelligent packaging on innovations within the food and drinks sector over the next five years 22
Figure 2.4: Functionalities of active and intelligent packaging in food and drinks 28
Figure 2.5: Example applications, functionalities, benefits, and enabling technologies 29
Figure 2.6: Isotop Exprime Isotonic Energy Drink 34
Figure 2.7: Chiquita Fresh & Ready Bananas 36
Figure 2.8: WarHeads Double Drops Super Sour Liquid Candy 38
Figure 2.9: Industry executives’ ranking of the importance of active and intelligent packaging innovations for consumers over the next five years 39
Figure 2.10: Industry executives’ rating of the importance of electronic and communications technology packaging innovations for consumers over the next five years 41
Figure 3.11: Drivers influencing the uptake of active and intelligent packaging in food and drinks64
Figure 3.12: Total global active and intelligent packaging market size for the food and drinks industry ($m), 2009-2015 73
Figure 3.13: Industry executives’ rating on the ethical, health and convenient packaging benefits for which consumers will be willing to pay a premium 75
Figure 3.14: Industry executives’ rating on the active and intelligent packaging features for which consumers will be willing to pay a premium 77
Figure 3.15: Food and drink product launches tagged with “freshness” by category (%), 2006 - 2009 79
Figure 4.16: Del Monte Sealed for Freshness Bananas 90
Figure 4.17: Roth Käse Cheese Crumbles 90
Figure 4.18: Yellow Jersey brand French Wine in a PET oxygen-barrier bottle 91
Figure 4.19: Buitoni Fresh Rolled Dough 92
Figure 4.20: DaysAgo Digital Day Counter and the Food Freshness Indicators 93
Figure 4.21: Bawls High Caffeine Guarana Soda in temperature indicator cans 95
Figure 4.22: Beer and wine products with temperature indicator labels 95
Figure 4.23: Jolt - CX2 Beverage with 'Power Meter' 97
Figure 4.24: Self-cooling beer kegs 98
Figure 4.25: Perkett’s self-heating RTD coffee 99
Figure 4.26: Self-heating meals 101
Figure 4.27: Spirit packaging designed to keep the product cool 103
Figure 4.28: XX Lager in an aluminum bottle 104
Figure 4.29: Coors Light Cold Wrap beer 104
Figure 4.30: Microwave products with packaging technology that crisps, browns, or grills 106
Figure 4.31: Refrigerated microwave meals with “steam” packaging 107
Figure 4.32: Frozen microwave products with ‘steam’ packaging 108
Figure 4.33: Boost Kid Essentials Nutritionally Complete Drink with probiotic straw 109
Figure 4.34: phd Probiotic Health Daily Probiotic Enhanced Flavored Water Beverage 110
Figure 4.35: Atlantic Multipower Germany Crea Max Creatine Drink with Auto-Mix System 110
Figure 4.36: OTC Healthcare cap with active ingredient products 111
Figure 4.37: Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Shadow Duo 112
Figure 4.38: SK-II Air Touch Foundation 113
Figure 4.39: Krugmann Meinerzhagen Creamy Liqueur with Strawberry Syrup 114
Figure 4.40: Fun and interactive confectionery packaging for children 116
Figure 4.41: New pack types that are designed to be used for something else 117
Figure 4.42: New personal care products with packaging that customizes the product for the consumer 118
Figure 4.43: i-wine with scratch and sniff panels on the labels 119
Figure 4.44: The Galerie Sound Egg with Candy Inside 120
Figure 4.45: WM Fieber Saurer Likoer with football commentary 121
Figure 4.46: Ty Ku Sake Liqueur in an illuminating bottle 122
Figure 4.47: NXT Shaving Gel and After-Shave 122
Figure 4.48: Personal care products with packaging with lights to encourage correct usage 124
Figure 5.49: Potential benefits of active and intelligent packaging 129
Figure 5.50: Executives opinion on importance of packaging innovations to consumers over the next five years (% responses) 136
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