UNIT 5 NOVEL PACKAGING TECHNOLOGIES AND FOOD

SAFETY

Structure
5.0 Objective
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Active packaging
5.2.1 Absorbing systems
5.2.2 Releasing systems
5.2.3 Other systems
5.3 Intelligent packaging
5.3.1 Freshness or quality indicator
5.3.2 Time temperature indicator
5.3.3 Leak or gas indicator
5.3.4 Bar code and QR code
5.3.5 Electronic identification tags
5.3.6 Biosensors
5.4 Bioactive packaging
5.4.1 Bioactive agents used in bioactive packaging
5.4.2 Incorporation of bioactive agents in food packaging
5.4.3 Applications of bioactive packaging in food
5.5 Other novel food packaging
5.6 Food safety issues in novel food packaging
5.7 Let us sum up
5.8 Key words
5.9 Answers to check your progress exercises
5.10 References and suggested reading

5.0 OBJECTIVES
After reading this unit, you will be able to:
 List different novel packaging technologies used for food packaging;
  Define active, intelligent, bioactive, edible, biodegradable packaging;
 Explain various active packaging techniques used for food;
 Describe various intelligent packaging techniques used for food;
 Narrate various bioactive food packaging; and
 Identify the food safety issues related with novel food packaging technologies.

5.1 INTRODUCTION
Have you ever noticed a small sachet of silica gel in a sealed package of sophisticated electronic
gadgets? That sachet is used for absorption of moisture from the air inside the package to protect
the gadget from rusting. This unit will help you to know about many such packaging used for
food products. You have been introduced to various aspects of food packaging in the course
MVP 001 in the first year of your program. Thus, you have already studied in details about
vacuum packaging, modified atmosphere packaging, aseptic packaging, retortable packaging,
edible packaging, biodegradable packaging etc. in the course MVP001. You also know about
different types and forms of packaging, packaging materials and machines, and different
packaging techniques used for food. So, you are well aware of the fact that the packaging is
primarily used for containment, protection, communication and convenience. Food packaging
industry always looks for enhanced functions of food packages because of the consumer’s
demand for convenient, minimally processed foods without/less preservatives, and also because
of changing regulatory requirements, and increased food safety concerns. Modern food
packaging innovations have made it possible to maintain the freshness of the food for a much
longer time, without affecting its sensory qualities. Food packaging should be healthy, safe and
beneficial for communities and individuals throughout its lifecycle; manufactured using clean
production technologies and best practices; designed to optimize materials and energy.

Now consumers are more interested in food packages which are biodegradable, edible,
microwavable, self heating and cooling etc. They are also eager to know the quality of the
packaged food during transportation and storage. These can be made possible through
application of novel packaging technologies. Worldwide food scientists, materials specialists and
others are continually trying to improve current packaging materials and techniques, and develop
new ones. This unit will help you to learn about many such new active, intelligent, bioactive
packaging and their effects on the food safety and quality.

5.2 ACTIVE PACKAGING

Initially packaging was done to contain the product and to provide an inert barrier between the
environment and the product for passive protection of the product. Then the researchers came up
with the concept of active packaging which actively participate in protecting the product from
deterioration. Active packaging is a system of packaging which extends the shelf life of the
products and improves food quality and safety through a positive interaction of product, package
and the environment. In other words, it is deliberate incorporation of subsidiary constituents in or
on the packaging material or the head space of the package to enhance the package performance.

As per European Regulation (EC) No. 450/2009, “active packaging systems are designed to
intentionally incorporate components that allow materials to be incorporated into or removed
from the packaged food or release or absorb food from the surrounding environment”..

The aim of active packaging is to match the properties of the food package to the more critical
requirements of the food. These technologies involve some chemical, physical or biological
actions that alter the interaction between the package, the food and the package headspace.
Various active packaging technologies can be broadly discussed under following headings:

 Absorbing systems
 Releasing systems
 Other systems
5.2.1 Absorbing systems
In absorbing systems, packaging film or sachets or absorbing pads are used to remove undesired
substances from the package to achieve favourable condition in the package. These undesired
substances can be oxygen, moisture, CO2, ethylene, taints etc. and these cause undesirable
quality changes in the food. These substances may permeate into food package, or may be
physiologically produced from the food during storage or may be present in the package from the
time of food production. Let’s see the functioning of various absorbing systems.

1. Oxygen absorbers:

You know that oxygen causes deterioration of most of the foods. Industry chooses method of
oxygen removal depending on economic factors and the properties of the particular food. A good
choice may be the application of a short inert-gas flush coupled with use of oxygen absorber.
Oxygen absorbers are also known as oxygen scavengers. These absorbers prevent oxidative
changes and microbial growth in food. These are used in biscuits, bread, cakes, pizza, pasta,
cooked and cured meat and fish, eggs, confectionery and snack food, dried food, spices and
herbs, tea, powdered milk, coffee, wine, beer and other beverages.

Oxygen absorbers may be iron based, enzyme based, metal/acid, metal catalyst,
ascorbate/metallic salt etc. The iron based oxygen absorbers are commonly used in food
package. Iron-based scavengers may be incorporated in sachets or as adhesive scavenging labels
on the inner wall of the package. The sachet should be permeable to O2 & H2O. 1gm of iron
based scavenger absorbs ~300 cc of oxygen. Iron powder can reduce the oxygen concentration to
0.01% in the headspace of the package.

Scavenging mechanism of iron based scavenger:

Fe + ¾ O2 + 1 ½ H2O  Fe(OH)3
Ageless® (developed by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Japan) is an example of commonly used
O2 scavenger. The scavenger can be incorporated directly into the packaging structure, for
example, “Oxyguard” (developed by Toyo Seikan Kaisha, Japan). O2 scavengers can also be
used as inserts in the form of flat packets, cards or sheets or as O2 scavenging adhesive labels,
like Freshmax® (developed by Multisorb technologies, USA) and the ATCO® labels (developed
by Standa Industrie, France). Oxbar is a system (developed by Carnaud-Metal Box, UK) which
involves cobalt-catalysed oxidation of a nylon polymer blended especially in PET-bottles for
packaging of wine, beer, sauces and other beverages. Ascorbic acid is another O2 scavenging
component.
There are so many absorbers available, but one has to decide the type and size depending on the
nature, water activity and desired shelf life of the food; quantity of dissolved oxygen in the food;
oxygen permeability of the packaging material; and oxygen level in the package headspace.

2. Moisture absorbers:

These are also known as humidity regulators as these reduce the in-pack relative humidity.
Moisture can accumulate in the package because of drip from meat/fish, transpiration of
horticultural products and temperature fluctuations in high moisture food package. Microbes can
grow in food or fogging of packaging films may occur if the moisture is not removed from the
package. The moisture absorbers are used for dried foods (snacks, cereals) to maintain their
crispiness and quality, and meat/fish/fresh cut fruits and vegetables to remove excess water from
their surface.

The moisture absorbers may be silica gel, active clay, calcium chloride, calcium oxide,
polyacrylate salt, graft copolymers of starch, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) etc. Silica gel
sachet is most widely used as moisture absorber. It removes moisture by physical adsorption.
Polyacrylate satls, CMC and graft copolymers of starch can be embedded in porous drip sheet
which is used for food like meat and fish. These superabsorbent polymers can also be placed
between two moisture permeable layers of plastic films and used as drip absorbent pad. Sachets
of hygroscopic sugar (xylitol, sorbitol, sucrose) and salts (calcium or sodium chloride) can be
used for buffering water activity inside fresh fruits and vegetables package. For dried food
applications, silica gel, calcium oxide and natural clays are often used within sachets.

"Pitchit" is a commercial moisture absorber (made of polypropylene glycol which is placed

between two layers of polyvinyl alcohol) manufactured by Showa Denko in Japan.

3. Ethylene absorbers:

Ethylene (C2H4 ) acts as a plant hormone that accelerates respiration, leading to maturity and
senescence, and also softening and ripening of many fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, ethylene
accumulation can cause yellowing of green vegetables and a number of postharvest disorders in
fruits and vegetables. It is often detrimental to the quality and shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
Therefore, its accumulation in the package should be avoided to prolong shelf life and maintain
quality of the food.
Ethylene absorbers are also known as ethylene scavengers. Most of these are supplied as sachets
or integrated into films. Potassium permanganate (KMnO4), used as an ethylene scavenger,
oxidizes ethylene to acetate and ethanol. KMnO4 based products are only supplied as sachets and
cannot be integrated into food-contact materials because it is toxic and has a purple colour.
Typically, such products contain 4 to 6% KMnO4 on an inert substrate like perlite, alumina,
silica gel, activated carbon or celite. `Green Pack' (developed by Rengo Co., Japan) is a sachet of
KMnO4 embedded in silica. The silica adsorbs ethylene and permanganate oxidizes it to acetate
and ethanol. C2H4 scavengers are not yet very successful, probably because of insufficient
adsorbing capacity.

4. CO2 absorbers:
CO2 is formed in some foods due to deterioration and respiration reactions, and it has to be
removed from the package to avoid further food deterioration and/or package destruction. CO2
absorbers/scavengers can be used for this purpose. CO2 absorbers are used for coffee, kimchi,
fresh fruits and vegetables etc.
These can either be a physical adsorbent ( zeolite or active carbon powder) or can be a chemical
absorbent (Ca(OH)2, Mg(OH)2, Na2(CO)3 CaO). Na2(CO)3 absorbs CO2 under high humidity
condition.
Scavenging mechanism of Ca(OH)2 :

Ca(OH)2 + CO2  Ca(CO)3 + H2O

Scavenging mechanism of Na2(CO)3 :

Na2(CO)3 + CO2 + H2O 2NaHCO3

These can be used as sachet. Only CO2 scavenging sachets are rarely used, but the sachets
containing O2 and CO2 scavenging together are commonly used. For example, sachets containing
iron powder and Ca(OH)2 absorb both O2 and CO2. An absorbent sachet having porous
envelope containing CaO and a hydrating agent like silica gel, absorb both CO 2 and moisture.
5. Off-flavour absorbers:
Various off-flavours, amines and aldehyde can get produced in the foods during storage. These
off-flavours can be absorbed using cellulose acetate film containing enzymes or sachet
containing ferrous salt and citric/ascorbic acid. These absorbers are used in fruit juices to reduce
bitterness, and in fish and oil-containing foods like cereals, chips and biscuits to improve flavour.

6. UV light absorbers:
As you know that light sensitive foods like alcoholic beverages and ham (cured meat product)
get affected by UV light, packaging materials with UV light absorbing agent can prevent light
induced oxidation in such foods. UV absorbent agent/ stabilizer can be added to the plastic
packaging material for different food products.

Check Your Progress Exercise 1

Note: a) Use the space below for your answer.
b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the unit.
1) Define active packaging. List the absorbing types active packaging used for food.
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2) What can be used as Oxygen absorbers? In which food products, these can be used?
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3) Give examples of moisture absorbers, CO2 absorbers and ethylene scavenger used in food
packaging.
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4. How the off flavor in the packaged food can be removed?
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5.2.2 Releasing systems

Releasing systems actively add or emit desired substances in the package to protect the food and
enhance its quality. These releasing substances include CO2, enzymes, antioxidants,
antimicrobials, ethanol, flavours, nutraceuticals etc.

1. CO2 emitters:

Earlier we discussed that CO2 absorbers help to remove CO2 from the food package. Now we
will see how CO2 emitters can help in improving the food quality and shelf life. In some cases,
high CO2 levels (10-80%) are desirable for foods such as meat, poultry, fish, cheese because
these high levels inhibit surface microbial growth and thereby extend shelf-life. CO2 emitters can
also help in such cases where removal of O2 from a package creates a partial vacuum which may
result in a collapse of flexible packaging. Also, when a package is flushed with a mixture of
gases including CO2, the CO2 dissolves partly in the product and creates a partial vacuum. In
such cases, the simultaneous release of CO2 from inserted sachets which also consume O2 is
desirable. Such systems are based on either ferrous carbonate (FeCO3) or a mixture of
ascorbic/citric acid and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). As FeCO3 is very unstable in room
temperature, it has to be used in presence of metal halide and other catalysts.

Mechanism of emission of CO2 responding to scavenging of O2 :

4 FeCO3 +6H2O+O2  4 Fe (OH)3 + 4 CO2

These emitters can be used as pad or sachet. In package of meat or seafood, exudates from the
food product penetrate the sachet and release CO2.

2. Ethylene emitters:

Ethylene has been used as antimicrobial agent and it can be used in food package in the form of
sachet. Generally, ethylene alongwith water adsorbed in SiO2 powder and filled into a sachet.
The sachet absorbs moisture from the food and releases ethylene. This emitter is specially used
in the bakery products (like bread, pizza crust, biscuits), fish products and cheese. Major
disadvantages are its high cost and production of off-flavour in food as it gets absorbed by the
food. The off-flavour can be removed by heating the food before use as ethylene gets evaporated
on heating. Commercially available products are Ethicap® or Antimold® (from Freund
Industrial Co., Japan), Oitech TM(Nippon Kayaku, Japan), Ageless® (Mitsubishi Gas Chemical
Co.) etc.

3. Antimicrobial packaging:

For prevention of microbial spoilage of food, high quantity of preservatives is to be used, if

added directly to the food. But lesser quantity of antimicrobial agent is required if used as
antimicrobial packaging. This is because food spoilage generally occurs on the food surface and
antimicrobial packaging can inhibit/reduce microbial growth when comes in contact with the
food surface. So, antimicrobial packaging is in demand by the consumers who want to have
minimally processed food with less preservative. Although complete inhibition is not possible by
antimicrobial packaging as most of the researches showed that antimicrobial packaging film can
cause around 2 log reductions in microbial load. So, it should be used as a part of hurdle
technology.
The major potential food applications for antimicrobial films include meat, fish, poultry,
confectionery and bakery products, cheese, fruits and vegetables.

To extend the shelf life of the food and maintaining the food safety, the antimicrobial agents
should prolong the lag phase of microbial growth and reduce the microbial growth rate.
Compounds having antimicrobial activity in food packaging include ethanol and other alcohols;
organic acids like benzoic, sorbic and propionic acid and their salts; spice and herbal extracts;
enzymes like lysozyme, glucose oxidase, lactoperoxidase; bacteriocins like nisin, pediocin;
fungicides such as benomyl and imazalil; chitosan; silver ion; SO2 and ClO2 etc. Chitosan has an
intrinsic antimicrobial property. Spices and herbs having phenolic acids and flavonoids, produce
wide range of antimicrobial effect. Bacteriocins have bactericidal effect against limited microbes
(closely related to their producer microbes). ClO2 is very much effective against bacteria, virus
and fungi. Silver ions, especially silver nanoparticles have very good potential against microbes
because of their controlled release property.
These agents can be volatile (like ethanol, SO2, ClO2, essential oils) or non volatile (like
benzoates, sorbates, propionates, enzymes, bacteriocins). Volatile agents can penetrate the food
even when the package is not in direct contact with the food. But nonvolatiles need direct contact
of the package with the food to exert their antimicrobial effects.
These substances can be used for antimicrobial food packaging in the following forms:

i. Volatile antimicrobial agents containing pads or sachets can be placed inside the package
for their slow release. For example, SO2 is released from a pad containing sodium
metabisulphite incorporated porous material.
ii. Antimicrobial agents can be directly added into the package forming polymers.
Bacteriocins, acid/their salts, chitosan, plant extracts etc. can be incorporated in the
packaging film/container. Sometimes they can affect the properties of the packaging
film and can also be affected by the temperature and pressure during extrusion of the
film. Thus, low melting point polymers like LDPE should be used for extruded
packaging film with directly incorporated antimicrobial agents. One such
commercially available packaging is LDPE impregnated with silver zeolite which is
stable at high temperature.
iii. These can be coated onto polymer package surface. This is advantageous because of
controlled addition of agents without exposing them to high temperature (of
extrusion) and better retention of antimicrobial activity.
iv. These can be immobilized to packaging polymer matrix by ionic or covalent bonds. Such
agents, mostly enzymes or other bioactive antimicrobial proteins maintain their
antimicrobial activity as themselves.
v. The packaging polymers which are inherently antimicrobial in nature can also be used for
food packaging. For example, chitosan film and some bioactive materials like UV
irradiated nylon can be used.

These can also be incorporated in edible films and coatings. Majorly used edible packaging are
made of carbohydrates (polysachharides, chitosan, alginate etc) and proteins (gluten, zein,
gelatine, whey, casein etc).

A rarely mentioned possibility for manufacturing antimicrobial films is to incorporate radiation-

emitting materials into films. However, little direct evidence for the efficiency of this technology
has been published in the scientific literature.

The principle action of antimicrobial films is based on the release of antimicrobial agents, some
of which could pose a safety risk to consumers if the release is not controlled by some
mechanisms. Release of antimicrobial agents should be as per the standards given in the food
regulations.
4. Antioxidant releasers:

Antioxidant packaging is much more effective in preventing oxidative changes in the packaged
food than the oxygen remover. Natural antioxidant like α-tocopherol or synthetic antioxidant like
BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are either incorporated in the packaging film or coated onto the
film. These antioxidants can be released into the headspace of the package or transferred to the
food by evaporative diffusion. The problem with this packaging is that it is not always possible
to match the rate of release of antioxidant with the requirement of the food. These antioxidants
protect both the food and the packaging polymers from oxidation. These releasers are used in the
packages of cereals, oils, emulsions, milk and milk products. Antioxidant releasers can be used
along with the antimicrobials for preservation of perishable products which are susceptible to
microbial and oxidative spoilage. For example, nisin as antimicrobial and α-tocopherol as
antioxidant can be used together for the packaging of milk cream.

5. Sulphur dioxide emitter:

It is used as mold inhibitor in the fruit packages. Sulphur dioxide is released into the package
headspace by incorporating sodium metabisulfite into a porous material.

6. Flavour emitters:

These are used to either improve the flavour of the food product or mask the off-flavour coming
from the food or packaging material. Flavour emitters are incorporated in the packaging film
polymer by scented lacquering, interior coating with spice, lamination with scented film etc.
Flavours can also be released in the package by placing porous adsorbent and
microencapsulation. It is important to have a controlled release of the flavours from the
packaging material and it should never be used for masking the off-flavour produced from
microbial spoilage of food (consuming such food is harmful).

5.2.3 Other systems

Imagine the situation when packaged food/drinks are distributed among the people during natural
disaster or supplied to the soldiers engaged in military operations; heating or cooling of such
food/drink is not easily possible in that situation. It will be very helpful in such conditions, if the
food packaging itself can heat or cool the food/drink. Here you will learn about such systems of
active packaging (self heating or cooling packaging) and also some other systems of active
packaging like microwave susceptors and selective permeable device.

1. Self heating system:

Self heating container was in use even in 1939 when armed forces used self heating can, but the
system was not very safe to be used by untrained person. Then advancement in the packaging
technology resulted in much safer self heating packaging based on the exothermic chemical
reaction. Generally, lime (CaO) is used alongwith water to generate heat and calcium hydroxide.
For fast heating of food, magnesium oxide (MgO) is used instead of CaO.
 Reaction of CaO and water to produce heat:
CaO+ H2O= Ca(OH)2 + Heat energy

This CaO/MgO and water are to be kept sealed in separated compartments in the food package,
but in close contact with the food. The mixing of water and CaO/MgO is allowed when the
heating is desired. Some devices like pulling string, puncturing device, slitting band etc. are
required to allow mixing of water and CaO/MgO. It is very important to control the temperature
and the rate of heating. Proper design of the self heating container and optimization of the
exothermic reaction are required for safe, efficient and cost-effective packaging. Some
commercialized self heating packages are used for liquid like tea, coffee, shake and solid food
like ready to eat meals in Japan and USA. The package can be in the form of metal can, plastic
tube, retortable pouch or retortable plastic trays. Commercial retortable plastic trays are made of
six layers of polypropylene – Ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer with an under layer containing
CaO or MgO.

THE ONTECH SELF-HEATING CONNTAINER

Beverage

Convection

Energy Release

Calcium Oxide (CaO)

Water for Reaction

Point of Activation

Figure 5.1 : Self heating packaging system for beverage

(Source: Raj, Seema and Chaudhary, Nidhee ( 2014). International Journal of Agriculture and
Food Science Technology)

2. Self cooling system:

Just like self heating packaging, there is also consumer’s demand for self cooling packages,
especially for beverages. Here the basic principle of cooling involves the endothermic chemical
reaction. For example, hydration of mixture of dehydrated ammonium nitrate and ammonium
chloride produces liquefied gas, which on evaporation can absorb heat and produce cooling
effect. But high pressure is to be maintained in the package for evaporation of compressed
liquified gas. Commercial self cooling cans are in use in Italy, Japan etc.

3. Microwave susceptors:
For rapid microwave heating and better sensory qualities of food, packaging material with
microwave susceptors can be used. Susceptors absorb microwave energy and convert it into heat.
These can have a localized effect like crispiness by surface drying of food and browning in the
product. In ideal situation, these would heat up quickly and maintain the temperature throughout
the heating process. But sometimes, these may result into overheating (leading to burning of
food) and also get damaged by microwave process. An ideal susceptor may have different layers
namely, heating surface (made of biaxially oriented PET), a thin metal layer (having aluminium
or tin oxide), an adhesive layer and a substrate layer (paper or paperboard). The food should be
in contact with the heating surface.

Figure 5.2: Microwave susceptor packaging

(Source: https://foodindustryexecutive.com/2021/03/toppan-develops-improved-
susceptor-for-microwave-cooking/)

4. Selective permeable device:

You know that fresh vegetable and fruits respire even after harvesting and packaging and
they require O2 and produces CO2. Maintenance of the O2 and CO2 ratio is very important for
maintaining the quality of the product throughout the storage period. If the temperature
during distribution and storage is not maintained properly, high temperature increases
respiration rate, produces more CO2 and requires more O2. So, use of a packaging
film/container which has selective permeability can maintain the product quality in such
condition. A significant development is that of side-chain-crystallizable (SCC) polymers
having an internal temperature switch which helps to effectively and reversibly melt as the
temperature increases. When elevated to the switch temperature, SCC polymers become
molten fluids which has high gas permeability. Similarly, when temperature decreases, SCC
polymer crystallizes and reduces gas permeability. By making the appropriate copolymers, it
is possible to produce any melting point from 0 to 68°C. The permeation properties may be
modified by inclusion of other polymers. For example, desired CO2 to O2 permeability ratios
can be maintained by modifying the polymers. Thus, the optimum gas concentration may be
employed from the outset of distribution with minimum concern for elevated temperatures.
 In addition to this, the packaging materials are also capable of 100 times greater O2
permeability than mainstream polyethylene films without compromising the CO2 to O2
permeability ratio. This packaging can be made by coating a porous substrate with a SCC
polymer and applying the patch of the membrane as a package label over an aperture on an
otherwise reasonably well sealed package. For the products with CO2 sensitive contents need
packaging which has high CO2 to O2 permeability ratio and allows faster escape of CO2 than
entry of O2. Conversely, membranes with low ratios are more applicable to products in which
high carbon dioxide values can inhibit microorganisms. Thus, the materials can be tailored to
the exact requirements of the package contents. This packaging involves high cost and has
been used commercially for fresh cut vegetables and fruits. Other selective permeability
devices include microporous packaging film with microperforations (30-100 µm in diameter
by laser or other means), microporous earthenware sheet, and package with pinholes or
channels etc. A package with pinholes or channels is used for fermented cabbage product
(Kimchi) for maintaining the package environment.

Check Your Progress Exercise 2

Note: a) Use the space below for your answer.
b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the unit.
1) List the releasing types of active packaging used in food packaging.
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2) Why CO2 emitters are used? Give one example of active packaging where CO 2 is emitted
and O2 is removed simultaneously?
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3) What are the chemicals used in self cooling and self heating system?
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4) How do microwave susceptors affect food quality?

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5) Give examples of selective permeable packaging devices.

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5.3 INTELLIGENT PACKAGING

You might have seen the bar codes on retail package of any commodity and also have
observed how the shopkeepers use bar code scanner to check the price and product history. This
bar code is an example of intelligent packaging. Intelligent or smart packaging is designed to
monitor the condition of the food to communicate information about food quality during
transport and storage. The smart devices may be incorporated in package materials, attached to
the inside or outside of a package, or sometimes the product itself. These smart devices can be
incorporated on the food item itself.

Intelligent packaging can be categorized into following three groups:

1. Indicators: which indicates concentration of a substance, presence or absence of a

substance or rate of chemical reactions. These include freshness or quality indicator,
time –temperature indicator, leak or gas or integrity indicator etc.
2. Sensors: which are used to detect, locate or quantify matter/energy giving a signal for
measurement or detection of a chemical or physical property. These include biosensor,
chemical sensor.
3. Data carriers: which help to efficiently flow the information within the food supply chain.
These include barcode, Radio frequency identification tag (RFID), (Near Field
Communication tag (NFC), Quick response (QR) code etc.

Here we will discuss some of these intelligent packaging systems.

5.3.1 Freshness or Quality indicators

These indicate directly the quality of food related to microbial growth or metabolites. These
show loss of freshness or spoilage of food products, if any. These are based on detection of
metabolites indicating the microbial quality of food. The target molecules are glucose, organic
acids, ethanol, volatile nitrogen compound, CO 2, H2S etc. These are either increased or
decreased during spoilage of food. The freshness indicators are mostly based on colour changes
due to microbial metabolites. An example of these indicators is Toxin Guard® (produced by
Toxin Alert) which detects pathogenic bacteria by immobilized antibodies. Many gas indicators
and biosensors can act as freshness indicator. Another example of quality indicator is the
RipeSenseTM sensor ( New Zealand) which indicates the ripeness of fruits by detecting volatile
gases originated from ripening of fruits.

5.3.2 Time –temperature indicators

If the temperature changes during transport and storage of the food products, it can cause quality
deterioration of the products. A smart packaging device has been designed in such a way that it
can indicate the temperature fluctuation over a time period and the changes in food quality due to
change in temperature. This device is known as time-temperature indicator (TTI). TTIs can be
partial history indicators which indicate abusive temperature condition (when a predetermined
threshold temperature is exceeded) or can be full history indicators which respond continuously
at all temperatures (within functioning temperature range of TTIs). These are non-invasive and
used externally on the packages of perishable products. These are based on irreversible physical,
chemical, microbiological or enzymatic changes that take place in food. The responses of these
indicators are expressed in the form of mechanical deformation or colour development/change.
These are user friendly and readily usable smart devices.

Table 5.1: Types of time temperature indicators (TTIs)

Types of TTIs Principle Example of Commercial product

Chemical TTIs Based on chemical reaction that Fresh-Check® TTI by Temptime
changes colour of indicator. With Corporation, USA. It consists of a
the increase in temperature, rate small circle of polymer surrounded
of chemical reaction increases and by a printed ring. If colour of central
rate of colour change increases. polymer changes to darker shade
than the ring, it indicates that food is
not fit for consumption.
Physical TTIs Based on diffusion mechanism Monitor MarkTM TTI produced by
where a coloured substance 3M. It consists of a pad containing
diffuses on change of temperature. dye within a carrier substance. When
temperature exceeds a predetermined
temperature, phase change takes
place in carrier substance and dye
migrates.
Physicochemical Based on coupling of diffusion of TT SensorTM TTI produced by Avery
TTIs an organic acid and colour change Dennison. It consists of two layers
of a pH indicator. label, one layer with a circular area
containing fluorescent pH indicator
and another is activation layer. When
these two layers are adhered to each
other, organic acid diffuses to pH
indicator which changes its colour.
Biochemical or Based on biological or chemical (eO) ® TTI produced by
biological TTIs reactions coupled with pH CRYOLOG. Label consists of
indicators. pH indicator changes nutritive media with selected strain
colour due to growth of selected of lactic acid bacteria and an
strains of non pathogenic bacteria indicator dye. When temperature
with the change of temperature. changes, bacteria grows, produces
acid which changes colour of dye.

Use (Fresh) Use Now (still fresh) Don’t use

Use before the centre is darker than the ring

Figure 5.3: Fresh check indicator

5.3.3 Leak or gas indicator

There are several reasons for change of gas composition in the food package headspace. These
include respiration of fruits and vegetables, microbial spoilage, gas transmission through
packaging material, package leak/improper sealing/pinholes, gas releasers/absorbers etc. All
these may lead to change in gas composition which ultimately causes change in sensory quality,
microbial spoilage and chemical deterioration of the food. Monitoring of gas concentration in the
package is very important for the packaged food, especially for vacuum or modified atmosphere
packaged food. Mainly two gases are monitored, namely oxygen and carbon dioxide. Gas
indicators may be in the form of a package label or printed on packaging material. It can be
placed inside the package and it should be non toxic, non water soluble and non reactive with the
food. Most of the commercially available O2 indicators are redox dye based indicators and show
colour change on change of O2 concentration. Ageless Eye® (produced by Mitshibishi gas
chemical company, Japan) is an example of O2 indicator which changes its colour from pink to
blue when O2 changes from 0.1% to 0.5% or more.

5.3.4 Barcode and QR code

You have studied about bar coding in packaging in details in the course MVP 001. So you know
that a bar code is a series of bars and spaces arranged according to a particular specification in
order to present data/information in a machine-readable form. Barcode helps in tracking the
product history. A handheld wireless barcode scanner can read data, then the data are displayed
on a computer and analysed with help of a database. Now a days, two dimensional bar codes are
available and they encode more information than the earlier single-dimension barcode. QR code
(quick response code) is an example of two dimensional bar code which provides the information
 online such as ingredients, nutritional information, recipes or cooking instructions, allergens,
website address of product manufacturer, sustainability information etc.

Barcode

QR code

(a) Barcode (b) QR code

Figure 5.4: Bar code and QR code on food package

(sources: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-tesco-tuna-and-mixed-bean-salad-33067587.html
& https://www.qrcodechimp.com/qr-codes-on-food-packaging/ )

5.3.5 Electronic identification tags

There are few electronic application based intelligent packaging systems. For example, radio
frequency identification (RFID), electronic article surveillance (EAS), and electromagnetic
identification (EMID) systems.

RFID is a radio wave based system that can track items wirelessly. It consists of a reader, radar
(data carriers), computer, network and database. Reader emits radio waves to catch the data from
the radar (RFID tag) which contains a tiny microchip. RFID can be either passive (tags don’t
need battery) or active tags (have own battery). RFID helps in monitoring and traceability of
food , thus improves food safety and supply chain effectiveness. Currently, RFID tags are used
with embedded sensors for temperature, humidity, light and shock. It is superior than barcode
system because its data transfer from reader to radar is wireless; it has not to be oriented towards
reader; and it provides a significantly larger data storage capacity. It can store data like
nutritional information of food, cooking instruction, temperature, relative humidity etc.

EAS is used to protect packaged items in the shop and they have limited application in food
packaging. EMID tags have magnetic inscription and can be read from a distance of 20mm by a
hand held scanner or these can also be read by the automatic readers mounted on conveyor belt.
Figure 5.5: RFID tag

(Source: Mingquan Yuan et al, (2015). IEEE Sensors Journal)

5.3.6 Biosensors

As the biosensors will be discussed in details in the successive units of this course, here we will
just introduce the concept of application of biosensors in the intelligent packaging. You know
that presence of microbes in a food product can be detected by various methods which are either
time consuming (example, culture method) or needs complex instrumentation (example, PCR
method). But a smart device like biosensor has a potential for real-time detection of microbes.
Biosensors have a bioreceptor (like microbe, enzyme, antigen, hormone, DNA/RNA etc) which
is an analyte specific and a transducer (like optical, electrochemical etc) which converts
biological response to electrical response. Thus, the biosensors can detect, record and transmit
the information about the biological reactions and detect foodborne pathogen quickly.

Check Your Progress Exercise 3

Note: a) Use the space below for your answer.
b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the unit.
1) Define and categorize intelligent packaging.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
2) How the freshness/quality indicator helps in knowing the packaged product quality?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
3) What is the basic difference between single dimension barcode and QR code?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
4) How do biosensor act as intelligent packaging?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………

5) What are different types of Time –temperature indicators used in food packaging?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
6) Name the electronic identification tags used in intelligent packaging.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………

5.4 BIOACTIVE PACKAGING

Another novel packaging technology is the bioactive packaging which employs bioactive
materials in the food package/coating to have a positive effect on consumer’s health by
production of healthier packaged food. It is a newer version of active packaging. Active
packaging is done mainly for extending the shelf life of the product alongwith maintaining the
safety and quality of the product. Bioactive packaging provides some functional properties to the
food which have positive effect on consumer’s health in addition to the aforementioned functions
of active packaging. Thus, it is said that the concept of functional food has led to the
development of bioactive packaging. Functional materials (bioactive agents) are used as
additives in food packaging. Both the packaging material and the functional substance should be
biobased (natural). For example, when probiotic is used as antimicrobial in a biopolymer based
packaging material, it is called as bioactive packaging. When silver ion based antimicrobials are
used in plastic packaging material, it is active packaging. Though in some literatures, use of
natural antimicrobials in plastic materials (LDPE or PP) has been termed as bioactive packaging.
Thus, the terms “active’ and “bioactive” packaging may be sometimes confusing, but we will
focus here on the “bioactive packaging” which uses natural functional substance and
biodegradable packaging materials.

5.4.1 Bioactive agents used in bioactive packaging:

Bioactive substances that can be used in bioactive packaging include essential oils, marine oils,
phenolic compounds (flavonoids), phytoestrogens (isoflavones), plant extracts, prebiotics
(inulin), probiotics (lactobacillus), bactreiocins (nisin), enzymes (galactosidase), soluble dietary
fiber (pectin), carotenoids (lycopene), organosulfur compound (garlic oil), chitosan etc.

5.4.2 Incorporation of bioactive agents in food packaging

Following methods may be used for incorporating bioactive agents in food packaging:
i. Sachets containing bioactive agents can be placed inside food package.
ii. Agents can be directly incorporated in the packaging film forming materials
iii. Coating containing bioactive agents can be applied on packaging material
iv. Bioactive edible coating can be directly applied on food
v. Bioactive agent (which has film forming property) can be used for preparation of
packaging material (example, chitosan film)
vi. Bioactive agents can be encapsulated and used in packaging

5.4.3 Applications of bioactive packaging in food:

 As antimicrobial packaging: Essential oils (oregano, rosemary, thyme, cinnamon, clove,
basil oil etc), grape fruit seed extract, propolis extract, probiotics, enzymes, lactoferrin etc
can be effectively used in antimicrobial packaging for reduction of microbial counts in
various food products. Various combinations of antimicrobial bioactive agents and
biobased packaging materials (chitosan film with garlic oil, chitosan-lysozyme film,
whey protein concentrate with essential oil etc) have also been used successfully for
different food products like meat, fish , dairy, fruits and vegetable products.
 As antioxidant packaging: ascorbic acid, quercetin (flavonoid), rosemary extract, green
tea extract, eugenol, thymol, sesamol etc are used in packaging as antioxidant for various
food products like meat, fish, olive oil etc.
 Other applications: (i) When UHT processed milk is packaged in a bioactive packaging
having immobilized lactase enzyme, the milk becomes lactose free or low lactose milk
during storage. (ii). Cholesterol reductase in the bioactive packaging can reduce the
cholesterol content of packaged food. (iii) Packaging having naringinase enzyme
hydrolyses naringin (a bitter component of citrous juice) of grapefruit juice. (iv)
Nutritional fortification of biobased packaging materials with bioactive compound may
also be tried for coating of minimally processed fruits and vegetables.
5.5 OTHER NOVEL PACKAGING FOR FOOD

The innovations in food packaging are being reported on regular basis. Researchers are working
on development of various retortable packaging, edible packaging, biodegradable packaging,
eco-friendly packaging. As you have already studied about these packaging in the course MVP
001, we will not discuss them here in details.

You know that edible packaging (film or coating) are made of carbohydrate (starch, pectin,
carrageenan etc), protein (wheat, corn, milk, soy protein) or lipid (bee wax, paraffin wax, rice
bran etc) and can be consumed with the packaged products. Thus, there is no disposal problem
and these are eco-friendly. These can also contain antimicrobial and antioxidant substances.

Biodegradable packaging are also eco-friendly as these are decomposed naturally by microbes
(bacteria, fungi, algae). These are made of biopolymers (like starch, cellulose, agar, protein,
chitin etc). These also include bioplastics made from poly lactic acid, poly beta hydroxyl
alkanoates, poly malic acid etc.

Retortable packaging is in great demand for some ready to eat food. Retortable flexible
packagings (retort pouch) are able to withstand the thermal processing in retort which makes the
food shelf stable.

Food packaging based on nanotechnology is gaining demand as most promising innovative

technology. It will not be discussed here in detail as you will be studying about this in the unit 6
in this course under the heading “nanotechnology and food safety”. You must know that
nanomaterials, especially the nanocomposites provide mechanical and barrier properties,
antimicrobial and antioxidant quality, and also the stability to heat and cold of the packaging
materials. Nanomaterials can also be used in RFID and nanobarcode. These have good potential
for use as nanosensors in food packages for detection of chemicals, bacteria, viruses, allergens,
pathogens, and toxins in foods.

5.6 FOOD SAFETY ISSUES IN NOVEL FOOD PACKAGING

It does not need to be emphasized again that all the innovations in food packaging are meant to
improve the food safety and quality. From the above discussion, it is very clear that active
packaging, bioactive packaging, biodegradable packaging, edible packaging, nano technology
based packaging, retort packaging etc. result into some extent of improvement of the food safety,
extension of shelf life of the products and maintenance or improvement of the food quality.
Intelligent packaging also helps the consumers or the food handlers in the food supply chain to
know the quality and safety of the packaged food and to take decision about the use/disposal of
the food accordingly.

Though many active/bioactive and intelligent packaging are being commercialized in many
countries, but use of some of these packaging may have some food safety issues. Some of the
food safety concerns that may arise from novel food packaging are discussed below:
  Antimicrobials used in active/bioactive packaging, may have some undesirable effect on
microbial ecology of food. The antimicrobials which inhibit only the spoilage causing
microbes, they may lead to food safety concerns because of growth of pathogenic
microbes.
 Another example is of the O2 scavengers which prevent growth of aerobic microbes, but
can allow the growth of anaerobic pathogenic microbes in the food.
 Incorporation of antimicrobial agents in the food packaging may reduce the strength and
barrier properties of the packaging materials and ultimately may lead to affect the food
safety.
 The migration of the substances used in the active and intelligent packaging should comply
with food legislation, otherwise it may result in food safety concerns. The toxicity of
these substances should be studied and monitored.
 The active packaging which uses active substances in the form of sachet or pad, may lead
to safety concerns if proper labelling is not done. The label should specifically mention
that the sachet/pads should not be eaten.

Due to increased environmental concerns and consumer’s demand for eco-friendly

packaging, innovations in food packaging should have some element of "green"
sustainability. Researchers are working on edible, biobased and biodegradable packaging to
address this issue.

Check Your Progress Exercise 4

Note: a) Use the space below for your answer.
b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the unit.

1) What is bioactive packaging? Enlist bioactive agents that have potential for use in packaging.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
2) What is the edible packaging made of ?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
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3) Define biodegradable packaging and give example.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
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 …………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
4) What are the applications of bioactive packaging in food?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
5) Mention any two food safety concerns that may arise from novel food packaging.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………

5.7 LET US SUM UP

Food packaging industry is continuously innovating food packages taking into consideration the
consumer’s demand for convenient and minimally processed foods without/less preservatives,
regulatory requirements and food safety concerns. This unit discussed some active, bioactive,
intelligent and other novel food packaging technologies which have good potential for use in the
food industry. These novel food packaging technologies enhance the food safety, extend shelf
life and maintain or improve the food quality. In active packaging, extra properties are provided
by incorporation of active ingredients into the package. Active packaging may be in the form of
absorbers (like O2, CO2, Ethylene absorbers, off-flavour absorbers, UV light absorbers), releasers
(like antimicrobial, antioxidant, CO2 emitters, ethylene emitters, flavours emitters, Sulphur
dioxide emitters) and also as selective permeable device, self cooling or heating package.
Intelligent packaging helps in knowing the quality and safety of food products throughout the
supply chain. It may be a sensor, an indicator (quality/freshness/gas leak/time –temperature
indicator) or a data carrier (Barcode, RFID tag etc). Some bioactive compounds may also be
effectively used in food packaging not only to enhance the food safety and quality, but also to
provide some health benefits to the consumers. Biodegradable, edible, biobased food packaging
are gaining importance because of their eco-friendly nature. The modern packaging technology
is also applying the concept of nanotechnology for developing more effective food packaging.
Though most of these packaging are beneficial, but some may have food safety concerns.

5.8 KEY WORDS

Active : It is a system of packaging which extends the shelf life, improves food
packaging quality and safety through a positive interaction of product, package and the
environment.

Bioactive :It uses bioactive compounds and provide the additional health benefits to the
packaging consumers in addition to the enhancement of food quality and safety and
storage life of packaged food.

Biodegradable : It is the packaging which is degraded naturally by the microorganisms.

packaging

Biosensor : It is an analytical device that detects biological reactions and converts

them into an electrical signal.

Edible :It is the packaging which can be consumed along with the food it contains.
packaging

Emitters :The substance used to give or send out required chemicals or gases

Head Space :The gaseous constituents of a closed space above liquids or solid in the
container

Intelligent :It is designed to monitor the condition of the food to communicate

packaging information about food quality during transport and storage.

Scavengers :A chemical substance added to in order to remove or inactivate impurities or

unwanted reaction products.

5.9 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS EXERCISES

Check Your Progress Exercise 1
1) Active packaging is a system of packaging which extends the shelf life of the products
and improves food quality and safety through a positive interaction of product, package and the
environment.

Absorbing types active packaging used for food: oxygen absorbers, moisture absorbers, CO2
absorbers, ethylene scavenger, off-flavour absorbers, UV light absorbers.
2) Oxygen absorbers may be iron based, enzyme based, metal/acid, metal catalyst,
ascorbate/metallic salt etc.
These are used in biscuits, bread, cakes, pizza, pasta, cooked and cured meat and fish, eggs,
confectionery and snack food, dried food, spices and herbs, tea, powdered milk, coffee, wine,
beer and other beverages.
3) Moisture absorbers used in food packaging: silica gel, active clay, calcium chloride, calcium
oxide, polyacrylate salt, graft copolymers of starch, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) etc.
CO2 absorbers : physical adsorbent like zeolite or active carbon powder; chemical absorbent
like Ca(OH)2, Mg(OH)2, Na2(CO)3 CaO.
Ethylene scavenger : Potassium permanganate

4). Off-flavours in the packaged food can be absorbed using cellulose acetate film containing
enzymes or sachet containing ferrous salt and citric/ascorbic acid.

Check Your Progress Exercise 2

1) CO2 emitters, ethylene emitters, antimicrobial packaging, antioxidant releasers, flavours
emitters, Sulphur dioxide emitter.
2) CO2 emitters can help in improving the quality and shelf life of food (like meat, poultry, fish,
cheese) which requires high CO2 levels (10-80%). These inhibit surface microbial growth. These
help to prevent collapse of flexible packaging caused by removal of O 2 from a package. These
also help in package where CO2 of used gas mixture dissolves partly in the product and creates a
partial vacuum.
Example of simultaneous release of CO2 and removal of O2 in food packaging: systems are
based on either ferrous carbonate (FeCO3) or a mixture of ascorbic/citric acid and sodium
bicarbonate (NaHCO3).
4 FeCO3 +6H2O+O2  4 Fe (OH)3 + 4 CO2
3) Chemicals used in self heating system: CaO and MgO.
Chemicals used in self cooling system: mixture of dehydrated ammonium nitrate and
ammonium chloride
4) Microwave susceptors in food packaging absorb microwave energy and convert it into heat.
These heat up quickly and maintain the temperature throughout the heating process. These result
in better sensory quality of food because these have a localized effect like crispiness by surface
drying of food and browning in the product. But sometimes, these may result into overheating
(leading to burning of food).
5) Selective permeable packaging devices: packaging material made of side-chain-crystallizable
(SCC) polymers, microporous packaging film with microperforations (30-100 µm in diameter by
laser or other means), microporous earthenware sheet, and package with pinholes or channels
etc.

Check Your Progress Exercise 3

1) Intelligent packaging is designed to monitor the condition of the food to communicate

information about food quality during transport and storage.

Categories of intelligent packaging:

  Indicators: which indicates concentration of a substance, presence or absence of a
substance or rate of chemical reactions. Example, freshness or quality indicator, time –
temperature indicator.
 Sensors: which are used to detect, locate or quantify matter/energy giving a signal for
measurement or detection of a chemical or physical property. Example, biosensor,
chemical sensor.
 Data carriers: which help to efficiently flow the information within the food supply chain.
Example, barcode, Radio frequency identification tag (RFID), Quick response (QR) code
etc.

2) The freshness indicators indicate directly the freshness/quality of food related to

microbial growth or metabolites. These are based on detection of metabolites (like
glucose, organic acids, ethanol, volatile nitrogen compound, CO 2, H2S etc ) indicating the
microbial quality of food. These metabolites are either increased or decreased during
spoilage of food. The freshness indicators are mostly based on colour changes due to
microbial metabolites. Many gas indicators and biosensors can act as freshness indicator.
3) Two dimensional bar codes i.e. QR code encode more information than the single-
dimension barcode. QR code provides the information online such as ingredients,
nutritional information, recipes or cooking instructions, allergens, website address of
product manufacturer, sustainability information etc.
4) Biosensor has a potential for real-time detection of microbes. It has a bioreceptor (like
microbe, enzyme, antigen, hormone, DNA/RNA etc) and a transducer (like optical,
electrochemical etc). Transducer converts biological response to electrical response.
Thus, biosensors can detect, record and transmit the information about the biological
reactions and detect foodborne pathogen quickly.
5) Types of Time –temperature indicators (TTIs) used in food packaging:
Chemical TTIs: Fresh-Check®
Physical TTIs: Monitor MarkTM
Physicochemical TTIs: TT SensorTM
Biochemical or biological TTIs: (eO) ®

6) Electronic identification tags used in intelligent packaging : radio frequency

identification (RFID), electronic article surveillance (EAS), and electromagnetic identification
(EMID) systems.

Check Your Progress Exercise 4

1) Bioactive packaging uses bioactive compounds to provide some functional properties to the
food which have positive effect on consumer’s health in addition to the extension of shelf life
and maintenance of safety and quality of food.

Bioactive agents used in bioactive packaging: essential oils, marine oils, phenolic compounds
(flavonoids), phytoestrogens (isoflavones), plant extracts, prebiotics (inulin), probiotics
(lactobacillus), bactreiocins (nisin), enzymes (galactosidase), soluble dietary fiber (pectin),
carotenoids (lycopene), organosulfur compound (garlic oil), chitosan etc.

2) Edible packaging is made of carbohydrate (starch, pectin, carrageenan etc), protein (wheat,
corn, milk, soy protein) or lipid (bee wax, paraffin wax, rice bran etc).

3) Biodegradable packaging is eco-friendly packaging as it is decomposed naturally by microbes

(bacteria, fungi, algae). Example, packaging materials made of biopolymers (like starch,
cellulose, agar, protein, chitin etc), bioplastics made from poly lactic acid, poly beta hydroxyl
alkanoates, poly malic acid etc.

4) Bioactive packaging can act as antimicrobial packaging. Essential oils, probiotics, enzymes,
lactoferrin, chitosan etc. can be effectively used in antimicrobial packaging for various food.
Bioactive packaging can be used as antioxidant packaging. Ascorbic acid, flavonoid, rosemary
extract, green tea extract, eugenol, thymol, sesamol etc. are used as antioxidant for various food
products.
Bioactive packaging can also be used for reduction of lactose in milk, reduction of cholesterol in
food, bitterness in fruit juice etc.

5) Food safety concerns that may arise from novel food packaging (write any two of the
following:

 The antimicrobials which inhibit only the spoilage causing microbes, they may lead to
food safety concerns because of growth of pathogenic microbes.
 The O2 scavengers which prevent growth of aerobic microbes, can allow the growth of
anaerobic pathogenic microbes in the food.
 Incorporation of antimicrobial agents in the food packaging may reduce the strength and
barrier properties of the packaging materials and ultimately may lead to affect the food
safety.
 The migration of the substances used in the active and intelligent packaging may result in
food safety concerns.

5.10 REFERENCES/SUGGESTED READINGS

 Dong Sun Lee, Kit L Yam, and Luciano Piergiovanni. (2015). Food packaging science and
technology. Taylor & Francis/CRC Press.
 Gordon L. Robertson (2006). Food packaging: principles and practice. Taylor &
Francis/CRC Press.
 Mingquan Yuan, Premjeet Chahal, Evangelyn C. Alocilja, Shantanu Chakrabartty (2015).
Wireless Biosensing Using Silver-Enhancement Based Self-Assembled Antennas in
 Passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tags. IEEE Sensors Journal, Vol. 15, No.
8. Pp 4442.
 Raj, Seema and Chaudhary, Nidhee ( 2014). Bioconversion of Molasses, an Agro-based
Bye Product into Citric Acid using Free and Immobilized Manganese Resistant Mutant
Aspergillus niger cells. International Journal of Agriculture and Food Science Technology,
vol 5, page 2249-3050.
 https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-tesco-tuna-and-mixed-bean-salad-33067587.html
https://foodindustryexecutive.com/2021/03/toppan-develops-improved-susceptor-for-
microwave-cooking/
 https://www.qrcodechimp.com/qr-codes-on-food-packaging/