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Any packaging that incorporates responsive devices in order to create more value could be termed 'intelligent'. In the past the terminology has been restricted to describing prototype products such as paper mobile phones, talking milk cartons or amusing cartoon videos on breakfast cereals. All are technically possible: few are commercially viable because of costs.
Today's drivers of smart packaging
Cheap printable devices: basic RFID components can be printed using conventional litho, gravure, digital or screen processes. This will be much less expensive than silicon and affordable for mid-priced supermarket products.
Brand attacks: fake medicines, food and drinks can be dangerous. So governments are beginning to legislate in favour of mandatory product level tracking. From January 2005 Wal Mart, the world's largest retailer expects all suppliers to use RFID at pallet level. This move alone has seen prices plummet and RFID tag production soar.
Nanotechnology: new molecular-level engineering could usher in a new generation of low-cost product tracking, intelligent packaging materials as well as underpinning more powerful electronic and diagnostic devices in ever smaller specifications.
Device combinations: smart devices are increasingly being developed as holistic packages with a combination of applications satisfied. For example, an oxygen sensor/RFID product detects and communicates product quality as well as its location. This enables shorter payback periods as value is extracted in several ways.
Who needs to buy this report?
- Food and drinks brand owners
- Pharmaceutical and cosmetics brand owners
- Supermarkets and pharmacy chains
- Intelligent packaging technology developers
- Developers of brand protection devices
- RFID suppliers
- Inks and substrates providers
- Flexible, rigid and paperboard packaging converters
- Printed electronics developers
Who's using the technology?
Food and drinks companies known to be using or trialling low-cost smart packaging:
- Dairy Crest (food, UK)
- Findus (food, Sweden)
- Arla Foods (food, Denmark)
- Snappy Apple (food, USA)
- Nestle (drinks, UK)
- Chiari and Forti (drinks, Italy)
- Coors (drinks, Canada)
- Monoprix (France, retail)
- Marks and Spencer (UK, retail)
- Toorank (drinks, Netherlands)
Killer applications in food and drink
Track and trace of pallets and cases in retail supply chain
Auto cooking features such as self-heating/chilling
Never out-of-stock: automated reordering
Track and trace of wines, spirits, tobacco at item level
Tamper evidence
Food safety through gas/bacterial indicators
Food quality indicators
Doneness indicators
Built-in timers
Self-adjusting sell-by date
Aroma-release packaging
Increased shelf-life