Intelligent Packaging Design for Food Products - University Report

This report delves into the realm of intelligent packaging, focusing on its application within the food industry. The paper examines the critical role of packaging, which extends beyond mere containment to encompass communication, convenience, and preservation. The report highlights the limitations of traditional packaging, particularly the challenges consumers face in assessing food quality and the resulting food waste. The core of the report centers on intelligent packaging technologies, including data carriers like RFID tags and barcodes, sensors that detect various parameters such as gas concentrations and temperature, and indicators that visually represent the product's condition. The benefits of intelligent packaging are explored, including enhanced product safety, reduced food waste, improved traceability, and cost savings. The report also discusses various types of sensors, such as carbon dioxide sensors and biosensors, as well as different types of indicators, including time-temperature indicators and freshness indicators. The paper concludes by emphasizing the advantages of intelligent packaging for consumers, the food industry, and food manufacturers, while acknowledging the current market challenges and costs associated with these technologies.

Running head: PACKAGE DESIGN
PACKAGE DESIGN
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Intelligent packaging for monitoring of food products
The trend for sustainability, standards of high quality and improved safety of products are
essential in life science’s all areas. In order for satisfying such requirements, there is use of
intelligent packaging in sector of food. Such systems could permanently monitor product’s
quality status as well as share information with customer. In such process, wastage of food could
be reduced as well as satisfaction of customer could be optimized (Ghaani et al. 2016). By
depending on product, several kinds of technologies for intelligent packaging are used. As of
now, these technologies are not widespread, however potential of these technologies are known
already.
The products are separated from external environment through packaging. There are four
general basic functions for packaging such as protection, communication, containment and
convenience. This communicates with consumers through graphics or written text as well as
simplifies contained products’ handling with the practical features like microwave ability or
reclose ability. Packaging offers differently sized and shaped containers as well as adapts to
lifestyle of customers. Additionally, to improved distribution and marketing, packaging slows the
quality decay also. This is reason for their significant contribution for safe delivery as well as
packaged food’s preservation. However, quality loss’s complete elimination is impossible. High
perishable foods’ intrinsic properties alter after processing (Poyatos-Racionero et al. 2018). It
could lead in increment in quality, depending on contents of biological, physical, chemical or
package occur that lead to product’s spoilage ultimately. Such changes are difficult for assessing
by consumers. For fear of groceries being getting spoiled, several consumers throw away
products that would be appropriate for consumption. Small deviation often from norm,
consistency before the date leads in products being end up in bin.

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For reducing unintentional waste of products, concept of intelligent packaging might be
utilized. However, it is not advantage which is provoked by such technologies. Products’
chemical and microbiological tests are performed regularly at level of company during the
production as well as before delivery. However, in several cases, no control is there after being
delivered to supermarket. The intelligent packaging would close the gap as these could monitor
as well as display status of quality from manufacturing point to customer. The permanent
monitoring minimizes unnecessary waste of foods as well as protects consumers also poisoning
of food, improves traceability and maximizes food industries’ efficiency (Fuertes et al. 2016).
Preserving quality of food is important area for research also, as this is directly related to global
aim for improving our lives’ quality. There is consumers’ growing demand due safety as well as
quality properties. Such issues are dependent highly on applied materials of packaging. There is
potential of intelligent packaging in improving safety of the product, reduce the environmental
impact as well as increase packaged product’s attractiveness and of food companies.
Materials of intelligent packaging could be termed as materials which monitors food’s
condition that is packed or food’s environment surrounding. They have ability in communicating
packaged product’s conditions, however they don’t interact with product. Aim of intelligent
packaging is monitoring product as well as transmit information to customers. It could be
information of package’s condition as well as its contents, storage conditions as manufacturing
time. Depending if this is reactive or simple intelligent packaging, it could be placed over
primary, tertiary or secondary packaging. Intelligent packaging could be used in commercial
purposes, the legal requirements should be fulfilled (Janjarasskul and Suppakul 2018). Three
major technologies are there that are used in systems of intelligent packaging: data carriers,
sensors and indicators. Intelligent packaging monitors conditions that could lead in changes in

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food’s quality characteristics. Few examples of such kinds of indicator of time temperature,
humidity sensors and indicators of gas leakage. Depending on monitoring factors, the systems
could be placed inside or outside packaging. Quality characteristics indicator is used to directly
monitor food’s quality attributes. Examples are freshness indicators and bio sensors. Such
devices are located inside packaging. There is use of data carriers for storing as well as
transmitting data, while sensors and indicators are used for monitoring external environment as
well as displaying information afterward.
Data carriers used for making information flow more efficiently in supply chain. Data
carriers’ function is not monitoring products’ quality, but for guarantying automatization,
traceability, counterfeit protection or theft protection. For ensuring it, it is role of data carriers of
data carriers is to store as well as transmit information of distribution, storage and all other
parameters (Sohail, Sun and Zhu 2018). Hence, these are placed often on the tertiary packaging.
Data carriers which are mostly used are Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and barcode
levels.
Barcodes are easy for using, cheap as well as are used widely for facilitating checkout,
stock recording or inventory control. Barcodes could be divided in one dimensional as well as
two dimensional. Depending on type, there are several storage capacities for them. One
dimensional barcode is the pattern of the bars and parallel spaces. Different arrangement for gaps
as well as bars results in data coding (Matindoust et al. 2016). Barcode scanner as well as
associated system could translate coded information. More capacity of memory is offered by two
dimensional barcodes as combination of spaces and dots in matrix or in array. Great convenience
is provided by this for consumers and retailers. QR codes are example of two dimensional
barcodes.

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RFID tags are the data carriers that are advanced with data storage of about 1 MB, along
with non-line-of-sight and non-contact ability for collecting data of real time. These collect,
transmit and store information of real time to information system of user. While comparing with
barcodes, the RFID tags are much more expensive as well as need more strong information
network. Information could be electronically loaded on the tags as well as could be again
changed. RFID tags offer more advantages for overall food supply chain (Barska and WyrWA
2017). RFID tags consist of inventory management, traceability as well as promotion of safety
along with quality. RFID system includes three compounds: tag created by microchip that is
connected to small antenna, the reader that emits the radio signals as well as answers are
received in return from tag and middleware which bridges RFID hardware along with enterprise
applications.
QR codes and barcodes are technologies of intelligent packaging. They are developed as
well as integrated further into Time Temperature Indicator (TTI). Principle of it is scanning of
label is done and information of temperature progression along with product is given (Heising,
Claassen and Dekker 2017). When compared with data carriers, the systems could be used for
tracking distribution chain as well as could help also reduce wastage of food.
Sensors could be defined as device that is used for detecting, locating or quantifying
energy giving signal to detect or measure physical and chemical property for which respond is
given by device. Maximum sensors include two components. Intelligent packaging have the
sensor part that is called receptor also. This could detect presence, concentration, composition or
activity of specific physical or chemical analytes (Müller and Schmid 2019). Chemical or
physical information is transformed also by receptor into energy’s form which could be
measured through second component known as transducer. There is use of transducer for

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converting measured signal in analytic signal that is useful. It could be chemical, thermal,
electrical or optical signal.
` Different kinds of sensors are there which investigate several parameters. Spoilage’s
progress could be determined by certain gases’ concentration such as hydrogen sulphide or
carbon dioxide. The properties is used by gas sensors through monitoring them. These respond
reversibly and quantitatively to gas’s presence through changing sensor’s physical parameters.
Sensors of carbon dioxide are chemical sensors or non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) sensors.
These NDIR sensors are the spectroscopic sensors which measure carbon dioxide content
through absorption of gas at specific wavelength (Balbinot-Alfaro et al. 2019). The sensors of
chemical carbon dioxide work with solid or polymer electrolytes. There is use of infrared sensors
along with electronical, laser and ultrasonic technologies for oxygen’s detection. Sensors’
another type are biosensors. When compared with chemical sensors, there is receptor made by
them of the biological materials like antigens, nucleic acids, hormones or enzymes. Depending
upon measuring parameters, the transducer could be acoustic, optimal and electrochemical.
It is role of indicators in determining absence and presence of substance, reaction’s extent
among concentration of different or specific substance. The information could be visualized
through direct changes such as different intensities of color. Depending on indicator, these are
outside or inside of package. Temperature is essential factor to determine food product’s shelf
life. Deviations within temperature profile could result in survival or growth of microorganisms
that causes ultimately in product’s spoilage (Dalmoro et al. 2017). Incorrect freezing could
proteins of the meat as well as other products. If required temperature or cold chain is maintained
properly during food supply chain, TTIs could be used. TTIs are inexpensive as well as simple
gadgets that are attached with package. Three kinds of TTIs are there: partial history indicators

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that indicate if the product is subjected to the temperature, which causes change in quality of the
product. Secondly, critical temperature indicators show if products are cooled below or heated
above permitted temperature. Thirdly, full history indicator that records temperature’s complete
profile along with food supply chain. TTIs’ functional principle is detection of temperature and
time dependent chemical, microbiological, enzymatic, electrochemical or mechanical changes of
the food product.
Physical and chemical responses are dependent on polymerization or reactions of acid-
base towards temperature and time. Biological responses, in contrast, are based upon the
biological changes like enzymes, spores or microorganisms with respect to temperature and time.
Measured values usually are expressed as visible responses such as mechanical deformations or
color changes (Shukla et al. 2016). Due to such simple functionality, there is recognition of TTIs
are readily usable and user friendly devices. TTI indicator’s example is Fresh Check from
Lifeline whose function is dependent upon polymerization reaction that results in change in color
in indication range.
Food products’ quality is supervised with help of freshness indicators while
transportation and storage. Hence, information is submitted by them about products’ chemical
changes, microbiological metabolites’ presence or microbiological growth. Metabolites which
indicate quality are for organic acids, biogenic amines, instance glucose, compounds of volatile
nitrogen, ethanol, sulphuric compounds and carbon dioxide (Siracusa and Lotti 2019). For being
able in contact to compounds, freshness indicators should be placed in packaging.
Food’s quality condition is indicated by gas indicators depending upon indoor
atmosphere. The sensor detects as well as reacts to the atmosphere’s change inside packaging,
while quality status is displayed by actual indicator. Atmosphere’s modifications are based upon

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food activity’s one hand like chemical or enzymatic reactions, as well as of environmental
conditions and package nature, like gas transmission by packaging or gas generation through
microorganism’s metabolism (López-Carballo et al. 2019). Most of these monitor carbon dioxide
and oxygen transmission. In order for monitoring gases, the indicators are placed inside
packaging.
In general, it is easy to use intelligent packaging as well as provide several advantages to
the consumers, total food industry and food manufacturers. Depending on system, different
features are offered by them. Product’s latest quality status could be determined through use of
sensors and indicators. It results in general increment of safety of product and reduction in
unnecessary wastage of food. Additionally, such consistent monitoring of quality reduces also
material cost as well as time in packaged food’s analysis methods. Cost advantages arise also
along supply chain while food waste is minimized by intelligent packaging (Heising, Claassen
and Dekker 2017). Supply chain’s better traceability is enabled by data carriers. As for the low
price, usage as well as benefit are provided by them, QR codes as well as barcodes are widely
spread nowadays. Sensors and indicators could be found barely on market. A reason of this is
price as production costs and development ate very high still. Packaging costs could amount up
to 50% to 100% of total costs for final product. Use of sensors and indicators could lead in
negative change within buying behavior of customer.
This should be ensured there is compatibility within systems. Hence, this should be
ensured that which sensor or indicator is ideal for product. Intelligent packaging could be
advantageous only if this matches with food. Oxygen sensor should be useful to Modified
Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) packaged foods, though for frozen and chilled products, TTI must
be applied. Other aspect which needs still clarification is packaging’s recycling (Ghoshal 2018).

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Additional waste that is generated by intelligent packaging, installation as well as production is
contradictory actually to goal to reduce food wastage’s amount.
Many factors are responsible often for quality’s loss. Monitoring one parameter could not
provide complete statement of product’s quality status. There is influence of external
environment such as mechanical stress, temperature and light could lead in situation, where the
products could be classified as they no longer fit for consumption. It could result in situation
where there is no indication of product’s spoilage. In worst case, health of customer care might
be affected adversely if there is consumption of products (Perez de Vargas Sansalvador et al.
2019). For summing up, this could be said system’s robustness should be improved as well as
technologies of individual packaging must be combined for exploiting as there is possibility of
several advantages. For changes in the consumer demands, trends or lifestyle in
commercialization, there is major role of packaging in preserving quick moving goods of
consumers.
Sensor’s integration for food packaging made huge advances in solution of intelligent
packaging. Such advances led in improving food quality, shelf-life, usability and safety. While
maximum packaging innovations are results of consumer performance and global trends, like
nanosensor technologies’ emergence and sensing material’s technology within nm size
(Kuswandi 2020). New development of intelligent packaging would focus more upon food
quality, food safety, tracking, sustainability, authentication, shelf-life and convenience.
In last few years, systems of intelligent packaging are outstanding on packaging’s
techniques. The indicators that provide information of food’s freshness, temperature’s status,
reliability of microbiological quality, shelf-life and completeness constitute crucial part in system
of intelligent packaging. Food’s quality could be traced through stages of storage and distribution

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with indicators that have several working principles. Hence, safety of food is provided with
respect to both consumers as well as manufacturer through use of the indicators within
technology of intelligent packaging.

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