View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Springer - Publisher Connector Eur Food Res Technol DOI 10.1007/s00217-017-2878-2 REVIEW ARTICLE Innovations in the food packaging market: active packaging Joanna Wyrwa1 · Anetta Barska1 Received: 4 January 2017 / Revised: 3 March 2017 / Accepted: 18 March 2017 © The Author(s) 2017. This article is an open access publication Abstract The requirements towards packaging and arti- their operation in ensuring food safety accumulated by both cles intended to come into contact with food are system- producers and consumers over time. atically growing. Due to the growing consumer interest in consumption of fresh products with extended shelf life and Keywords Active packaging · Innovations · Food controlled quality, manufacturers have to provide modern packaging market and safe packaging. It is a challenge for the food packaging industry and also acts as a driving force for the develop- ment of new and improved concepts of technology packag- Introduction ing. It is in order to meet these needs that active packag- ing can be applied. This article presents a new generation Currently, packaging is an essential element in modern of packaging, which allows to maintain and even improve trade in goods, which guarantees preserving the quality of the quality of the packaged product, which is an essential food products. It also plays a key role by protecting packed advantage particularly in the food industry. It is to this end products against external conditions, affecting the qual- that the role and the application of active packaging were ity and health safety of food products, making transporta- discussed. Among the solutions belonging to the active tion, storage, and dispensing of products more easy. The packaging, there are oxygen and moisture scavengers, eth- dynamic growth of importance of packaging contributes ylene regulators, and antimicrobial packaging. Active pack- to the continuous improvement of production methods and aging is an excellent solution for a wide range of applica- ways. tions in the food industry. The most important advantage Packaging production is a global industry, which is resulting from their use is reduction in loss of food prod- characterized by its internal diversity and each of its sec- ucts due to extension of their shelf life. Active systems are tors individually affects the situation on the market. The the future direction for development of food packaging and requirements towards packaging and articles intended to their commercial success should be expected in the coming come into contact with food are systematically growing. years. It will undoubtedly result from constantly improved Due to the growing consumer interest in consumption of technologies of their production and the knowledge about fresh products with extended shelf life and controlled qual- mechanisms of their functioning and the effectiveness of ity, manufacturers have to provide modern and safe packag- ing. It is a challenge for the food packaging industry and also acts as a driving force for the development of new and * Joanna Wyrwa improved concepts of technology packaging [1, 2]. There- [email protected] fore, packaging producers are looking for solutions that Anetta Barska allow to improve such properties of packaging materials as: [email protected] an adequate barrier to gases, UV protection, extension of the storage period, transparency, and environmental perfor- 1 Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Zielona Góra, ul. Podgórna 50, 65-246 Zielona Góra, mance [3]. Poland Vol.:(0123456789)1 3 Eur Food Res Technol Due to its expansiveness in creating new products, the These types of solutions were introduced in Japan and in food industry has created completely new demands on the the USA first, and now, they can be seen in Europe. Proba- packaging market. bly, the later introduction of these systems on the European Modern packaging extends the shelf life of food prod- market results from existing legal regulations, which were ucts and better techniques for storage and refrigeration much more restrictive in Europe [1, 16]. Intensification of chains enable longer transportation [4]. Packaging of the interest in active and intelligent packaging in Europe is also new generation affects a product and thus controls its qual- reflected in the growing number of research projects relat- ity. It is in the literature that there are various terms used to ing to their development [12]. describe new technologies of packing: active, smart, inter- active, and intelligent. As a result of the implementation of the “Actipak” pro- Active packaging system ject, the definitions were systematized and new packaging systems have been placed on the market together with the Active packaging is a solution, in which the packaging, the relevant regulations [5]. Active packaging, which is used product, and the environment interact. These are the sys- to protect the quality of the packed products through mod- tems, which (as a result of the chemical, physical, and bio- ern systems, was differentiated from intelligent packaging logical activities) actively change conditions of the packed which generally complements active packaging and its role food, cause an extension of its sustainability and thus its is to communicate with a buyer. shelf life, and guarantee or significantly improve the micro- Farmer [6] defines active packaging as “the one, which biological safety and/or sensory properties, while maintain- not only passively contain and protect food, but also per- ing its quality [17, 18]. form other actions while smart packaging or intelligent In contrast to the traditional packaging materials, active packaging traces and informs”. It is an extension of the packaging causes extending the shelf life of food and pre- traditional packaging functions such as providing protec- serving its higher quality during reactions with the internal tion, comfort of use, and longer shelf life and storage peri- atmosphere and the product [19–22]. ods. He also emphasizes that “packing of the future will Therefore, active packaging systems should be consid- not only be a barrier but it will also interact with packaged ered an innovative way in the field of food packaging [23, products” [7]. 24]. They interact with the packed product, change the This article presents a new generation of packaging, conditions of the packed food, and control its quality at the which allows to maintain and even improve the quality same time. of the packaged product, which is an essential advantage Active packaging represents a large and diverse group particularly in the food industry. The aim of the study is to in terms of both its purpose and solutions applied. The use systematize the knowledge and identify the research trends of proper active packing extends the shelf life of products concerning the active packaging o food products. It is to through its impact on processes emerging in food [25]: this end that the role and the application of active packag- ing were discussed. Among the solutions belonging to the • physiological processes, e.g., breathing of fresh fruit active packaging, there are oxygen and moisture scaven- and vegetables; gers, ethylene regulators, and antimicrobial packaging. The • chemical processes, e.g., oxidation of fats; article has the characteristics of a review, whereas the main • physical processes in the case of bread staling; research method applied is literature query. The article pre- • microbiological changes due to the impact of microor- sents the current state of the scientific discussion on the ganisms; principles and mechanisms of active packaging, indicating • infections caused by insects. the process of dynamic improvement of production tech- nology of this innovative packaging solution. The atmosphere inside packaging can be actively con- According to forecasts of experts, the emerging gener- trolled by substances which absorb (scavengers) or release ations of active packaging are the future of food packag- (emitters) gases or steam. ing [7–15]. It is estimated that the share of the so-called Scavengers are designed to remove undesired com- advanced packaging represents approximately 5% of the ponents from the environment inside packaging. There total value of the packaging market, of which 35% belongs is no direct migration between a scavenger and a product to active systems. Although the active packaging has a but only improvement of the conditions inside packaging, small share in the value of the sales of all packaging, but which prolongs a shelf life of the product. Depending on there are indications for a rapid growth of their sales in sub- the application, it may be associated with the absorption of sequent years. The interest in these solutions is reflected in oxygen, moisture, ethylene, or carbon dioxide. It is in order the number of patent applications and granted patents [8]. to achieve specific effects that such substances as zeolite, 1 3 Eur Food Res Technol cellulose, activated carbon, silica gel, iron ions, ascorbic The response of the most popular oxygen scavengers is acid, potassium permanganate, and calcium hydroxide are based on oxidation of iron compounds [6]. The substances applied [26]. absorbing oxygen based on iron compounds are placed The second group of packaging consists of emitters [26]. in sachets permeable to oxygen most often. The largest The principle of operation of emitters is based on releasing sachets absorbing oxygen available in the market contain desired substances that have a positive impact on food into approximately 7 g of ferric oxides. Due to the high sorp- the packaging environment. Such packaging contains and tion capacity of iron compounds, the oxygen scavengers produces compounds capable to get inside the packaging based on them are the most effective absorbers in the mar- and inhibit adverse processes. They are intended to guar- ket. Depending on size of a sachet, the iron compounds can antee stable conditions during storage and should ensure absorb from 20 to 2000 cm³ of oxygen.