Innovations in Smart Packaging Concepts for Food: An Extensive Review

Abstract

Innovation in food packaging is mainly represented by the development of active and intelligent packing technologies, which offer to deliver safer and high-quality food products. Active packaging refers to the incorporation of active component into the package with the aim of maintaining or extending the product quality and shelf-life. The intelligent systems are able to monitor the condition of packaged food in order to provide information about the quality of the product during transportation and storage. These packaging technologies can also work synergistically to yield a multipurpose food packaging system. This review is a critical and up-dated analysis of the results reported in the literature about this fascinating and growing field of research. Several aspects are considered and organized going from the definitions and the regulations, to the specific functions and the technological aspects regarding the manufacturing technologies, in order to have a complete overlook on the overall topic.

Antimicrobial nanoparticles and biodegradable polymer composites for active food packaging applications

“…However, within the intelligent packaging nanofillers do not have any action on food, but monitor the condition of the packaged product and share the information. The packaging that combines intelligent and active components is smart packaging (Drago et al., 2020; Vanderroost et al., 2014).…”

“…450/2009 defines active packaging as systems that “deliberately incorporate components that would release or absorb substances into or from the packaged food or the environment surrounding the food” and intelligent packaging as “Intelligent food contact materials, which monitor the condition of packaged food or the surrounding environment, for instance, by providing information on the freshness of the food” (European Commission, 2009). In this way, antibacterial packaging functions by releasing the active agents onto the foodstuff or into the surrounding atmosphere and inhibits the growth phase of microorganisms present on the surface of the packaged food (Drago et al., 2020). Furthermore, the improved storage conditions may extend food shelf life and freshness and preserve food quality and safety.…”

Recent Developments in Smart Food Packaging Focused on Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers

“…Food smart packaging should be highly regulated with strict guidelines for packaging materials, testing, and labeling (Madhusudan et al, 2018;Drago et al, 2020). The most important regulation is to obtain food contact approval.…”

“…Even though legislations about food contact material vary between countries, regulations are mainly based on restrictions as to the material compositions or migration limits. Package's components, whether the bioplastic or the additives added to give the container a particular functionality, should not migrate into food in quantities that could be a risk to human health or change its sensory properties (Restuccia et al, 2010;Drago et al, 2020).…”

Holistic Approach to a Successful Market Implementation of Active and Intelligent Food Packaging

“…Moreover, active substances or carriers may react with food components or bind to them, thereby, inhibiting the desired activity. Despite these challenges, numerous applications of product-tailored concepts achieving optimal activity of active packaging systems have been published [ 19 ] but only some have successfully made it to the market [ 21 , 26 , 27 ].…”