Active Packaging: A Boon to Food Packaging Industry

In today’s era of easily available food there is a huge demand of a packaging material which can provide better shelf life to the packed food and also enhances other components of food.

- Dr. Monika Hans*

INTRODUCTION

In this regard the area and need of active packaging is increasing significantly. Traditional packaging includes flushing of inert gases in the packages and in some cases the environment inside package is changed according to the need of food material, so as to avoid production and growth of undesirable components in food. Active packaging system includes addition of oxygen scavengers, carbon dioxide absorbers, and use of antioxidants, antimicrobial agents to increase the shelf life and to retain the quality of food product. With the recognition of the uses and advantages of active packaging there is increased consumer demand for active packaging technologies. Active technology system has great potential in the field of food science and technology and also work with the point to reduce food wastage and shortage of food supply.

ACTIVE PACKAGING

Active packaging system monitors conditions of packaged food to give information about the quality of food during transport and storage (Day, 1989). It does not merely provide barrier to external environment but also provide microbiological safety to food (Brody, et al. 2001; Lopez-Rubio, et al. 2004). It also adds following properties to food:

• Absorbing / scavenging properties: Remove unwanted compounds and add desired components in food

• Releasing/ emitting properties: Prevention from micro-organism

• Removing properties: change conditions inside package

• Temperature control: change permeability of film and reduce food losses.

Active packaging systems provide protection against microbial growth and maintain quality and have various functions like temperature control, ethylene absorbers, ethanol emitters, carbon-dioxide absorbers/ emitters Dobrucka R (2014) and Kubiak 2008.