interpack 2011: Smart Packages for Freshness
Freshness straight from the pack
Packages of the future are expected to have even more functions: they will interact with their contents, eliminate harmful oxygen and microbes and thus improve the product's keeping properties and quality. In Japan, oxygen-absorbing sachets have been in use for years to help vegetables and fish stay fresh for longer. However, Europeans and Americans are not so willing to accept the conspicuous packaging elements bearing the words “Do not eat”. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging (IVV) in Freising have therefore developed more elegant preservation solutions. “We integrate oxygen absorbers like iron in the package’s polymer matrix,” says IVV materials developer Sven Sängerlaub. Oxygen-sensitive beverages like beer and fruit juices stay drinkable for longer in PET bottles processed in this way, he adds. The IVV also offers industry an antimicrobial film that releases sorbic acid onto the surface of the food, the prime point of attack for contamination, and thus preserves it. Product manufacturers can gain a detailed impression of the IVV’s innovations at interpack.
- Places:
- Chicago
- Switzerland