Future Packaging Could Actually Think for Itself

As consumers become more aware about the quality of the products they purchase, researchers are developing innovative ways to actually make packaging "smarter." Photo: Flickr/My Little Photo Album

The art of food packaging seems to be merging into the realm of science fiction, according to a report released by AZo Nanotechnology.

As consumers become more selective about what qualifies as fresh food, research companies around the world are experimenting with new technologies, some of which sound a little out of this world.

Bayer, a global group that conducts research in health care and crop science, has produced a plastic film containing nanoparticles of clay.

The clay, which is dispersed across the transparent film, blocks oxygen, moisture and carbon dioxide from spoiling meats and other foods. Durethan, the name of this handy innovation, uses the clay to make the actual plastic lighter and stronger.

Kodak, a company that is known around the world for its disposable cameras, is developing an antimicrobial packaging that absorbs oxygen and keeps food fresh, while Nanocor, an operating subsidiary of AMCOL International Corporation, has figured out a way to prolong the shelf life of beer manufactured in plastic bottles.

Thus far, all attempts at producing the perfect plastic beer bottle have failed due to spoilage and flavor issues. However, Nanocor has reportedly produced nanocomposites that bar the escape of oxygen by embedding nanocrystals into the plastic.

The company and Southern Clay Products are currently working on a plastic beer bottle that can store the popular beverage for up to 18 months.

For those who often find their food has spoiled during storage, there may be a new form of packaging technology that can warn consumers before the spoiling has taken place.

Researchers at Rutgers University, the University of Connecticut and Kraft are experimenting with packaging using what is called “electronic tongue” technology that can actually detect through embedded sensors the substances that are causing food spoilage. The packaging will change color, so consumers will know to either cook the food immediately or dispose of it, if the food has already been contaminated.

In the same field, scientists in the Netherlands are taking one step further by creating an “intelligent” packaging that has a “release on command” preservative, which will save the food right before it begins to spoil.

The U.S. Military, especially, has backed the technologies currently being developed by researchers. If ever there was a terrorist attack on the nation’s food supply, “super sensors” in food could save thousands, if not millions, of lives.

Nonetheless, even “intelligent” packaging cannot resolve some of the biggest problems inherent to industrial food production today, such as the lack of health inspectors in factories, a smaller labor force and faster though oftentimes less efficient assembly lines.

As a result, consumers may soon have to take over the role which once belonged exclusively to food inspectors by being smarter and more active about food packaging on their own.

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