source: http://www.interpack.de/
modern packaging, for better stability, not only require less material and can be handled efficiently - now, the time-temperature indicators or microchips provide information at any time on the status of product quality. Active systems may even improve the quality of the packaged product during storage. For this reason, the "Smart Packaging" should be a very important issue for manufacturers.
Brain discreet packaging end use, the microchips are treated with chemicals in a clean room laboratory. (Photo: BASF)
The Swiss are unwilling to make any concessions to his beloved "Güggeli" as they call roast chicken. If not properly raised, they undergo regular health checks and are not totally fresh chickens do not come to the table. The Swiss company Kneuss Geflügel Ernst has created something special for the demanding Swiss-Prints a label OnVu, a time-temperature indicator, in the cardboard box of chicken broiler "-Güggeli Bachofen, which accompanies him to trade. A special pigment inside the symbol of an apple is irradiated with UV during packaging and turns blue. Since then, the color begins to fade with time and depending on the temperature. Depending on the time that has been stored hot roast chicken, quickly change the color. If Inside the block is paler than the reference color of the border, the consumer knows that the chicken should not be eaten.
"With labels, customers can check the freshness and quality of our products and we express our philosophy of quality," explains Daniel Kneuss, Managing Director of the company. This manufacturer of prepared poultry and OnVu label introduced in 2008, other companies want to do from now on. "We are negotiating worldwide with chain stores and fast food," says Martin Angehrn, Director of OnVu at BASF. German chemicals group in 2008 acquired the Swiss company specialized in pigments Ciba, which has developed indicator together with the German manufacturer of machinery Bizerba.
The expiry date is not enough
If you want to fully guarantee customers the safety of products should be controlled the entire supply chain from production to consumer. This is especially true for sensitive perishables and pharmaceuticals. Is shown continuously, the danger due to products damaged or unusable drugs is great. Until now, consumers can only be guided by the expiration date. This indicates how long a product can be used without quality problems, if stored properly. The problem is that if you stop cold chain or moisture enters, breaks before and can be a danger to consumer health. On the other hand, there is often still fresh foods after their expiry date, but are discarded as a precaution and so resources are wasted unnecessarily. The time-temperature indicators show exactly the degree of freshness and prevent unnecessary waste. "In this way also contribute to sustainability," says Mr. Angehrn.
freshness detector: the sticker from the Japanese company-Genkyo To change the color the more ammonia free meat. If not edible, the bottom of the hourglass appears gray. (Photo: To-Genkyo)
As more and more consumers who value healthy and organic products with added value, the experts have a strong growth market "Smart Packaging." The market research firm U.S. MarketsandMarkets estimates that global sales of smart packaging in the period 2010 to 2015 increased by 8.2% to about 24,000 million U.S. dollars. Analysts believe that, with color labels, progress also use radio frequency technology (RFID). The microchips embedded in packaging continuously capture, through sensors, information on the status of a product such as humidity or temperature and sounds an alarm case exceed or fall below the programmed threshold values. The chips also help patients to take time the exact dose of drugs: when is the time to take the medication, a signal sounds. But processors can still do more: if they provide data as the place of packing or the date of manufacture, the products can be traced without exception - an important feature against counterfeiting.
More security: The MediFalter of Körber, thanks to an integrated calendar and clock symbols, help with medication take-off and also avoids contamination due to clear separation of different drugs. (Photo: Körber)
The industry provides a great potential in the chips and drives forward to its development. For example, the Organic Electronics Association (OE-A), a working group of the Association of German Machine and Plant Construction (VDMA) works in the marketing of printable organic electronics. "The economic electronics, thin and flexible, which means mounting flexible polyester substrates can be easily integrated in the packaging, will be commonplace and essential in shops in the future," says President of OE-A, Wolfgang Mildner. RFID could be called or charged large amounts of information about the products in an instant. Thus, the technique offers a guarantee of authenticity and security of distribution. Also in interpack, 12 to 18 May 2011, the world's most important event of the packaging industry, packaging "that communicates" is an important issue.
still fresh
flexible packaging containers should offer further future, interact with the product packaging to remove oxygen and microbes, improving the durability and quality of products. In Japan they are used, and for years, oxygen-absorbing pads, bags calls for the conservation of vegetables or fish. However, Europeans and Americans are not very willingly accepted the bright packaging with the inscription "Do not eat!". Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute of Technology procedures and Packaging (IVV) in Freising have developed more elegant storage solutions. "We integrated oxygen absorbers such as iron in the polymer matrix of the packaging material," says IVV material developer, Sven Sängerlaub. Thus, oxygen-sensitive beverages such as beer or fruit juices have a superior durability in PET bottles prepared in this way. In addition, IVV offers the industry an effective antimicrobial film. Provides sorbic acid on the surface of the food, the main attack point of pollution and thus preserves it. In interpack can be manufacturers of an accurate picture of the innovations of IVV.
high-tech equipment: Multifunctional Wallet containers are in vogue. Some equipment manufacturers are already offering adequate facilities for it. (Photo: Körber)
Critics argue that active packaging have additional chemicals that harm the nature of the products. "For the protection of food are used only harmless substances that do not alter the smell or taste," Mr. Sängerlaub replica. In addition, using antimicrobials such as sorbic acid, may be dispensed with preservatives in the product. "This encourages a healthy lifestyle." The scientist is a likely problem in higher costs for the market introduction of new packaging solutions. For this, the industry would have to upgrade their packaging lines and extensively test their new packaging. "This makes the transfer from laboratory to mass production," says Mr. Sängerlaub.
machinery makers are prepared
packaging specialists and suppliers speculate that the need of the industry in "Smart Packs" press and invest heavily in expanding its product range. "The new products and campaigns require large investments, but the growing consumer demand for value-added products is a promise of long-term economic benefit for companies," said Mr. Mildner, Chairman of OE-A. The company specialized in plastic Hamburg, Albis Plastic offers the manufacturers of packaging products, with the name "Shelfplus O2" oxygen absorber with iron core "highly efficient" according to their own data, which is mixed with , natural plastic as food and container shape. The Austrian manufacturer of cans Pirlo includes a pad of silica gel in a perforated plastic insert at the top of their new tin cans "DryCan" coffee and tea. "This new container component controls moisture and prevents the formation of lumps in the powder products," explains Head of Pirlo, Julius Lüthi.
Smart Wallet: Bosch has found a way to make, quickly and economically complex folding boxes for medicines. The pharmaceutical industry has already shown great interest. (Photo: Bosch)
Also in the rapidly developing intelligent packaging innovations. The German group Bosch offered with "Smart Wallet "outer packaging for solid drugs, which also can be fitted with a microchip. The Bosch box does not get his name only integrated intelligence, but also because it is extremely lightweight and economical to manufacture. "The facility to manufacture Smart Wallets - as opposed to packaging machines running Wallet - occupies an area of \u200b\u200bless and requires less investment overall," says product manager for Bosch, Helmut Deichert. The key to the efficiency of Smart Wallets your exterior is attached that is placed in a machine for packaging in cartons and load current with a blister, a transparent container for tablets. Thus, depending on the type of machine, able to manufacture up to 300 wallets per minute, says Deichert. Making
quickly
complex packaging - this is something they do also the machines of the German Körber, the Italian or Swiss IMA Payment. There are automatic labeling machines, suitable for RFID, microchips placed not flat, but outstanding on the product, as a flag. Thus there is no radio interference with liquids and metal packaging. The innovations of companies show that active and intelligent packaging has long been more than a bold vision. At Interpack, to be held from 12-18 May in Düsseldorf, specialists in packaging and product manufacturers can get an idea of \u200b\u200bthis in vivo.
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