Follow your Nose…. | 08-05-2019 |

In this newsletter we spend a lot of time talking about tags, labels, inks, coatings and additives, etc. But from time to time a slightly different approach to ‘smart’ packaging comes along which we like to celebrate too.

Siad, based in Bergamo, Italy, produces a range of aromas under the AROMA+ brand, which can be introduced via a modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) line into almost any product – from fish, meat and cheese to cold cuts, fresh pasta and desserts; to ‘eliminate unpleasant odours and enhance the product’s olfactory appeal without altering its taste’,  they claim.

In a recent case study involving fresh sausages the company introduced a rosemary infusion into the modified atmosphere. The herb has antioxidant properties. So not only did the sausage meat smell better when the pack was opened – an intense rosemary aroma rather than the smell of blood they say - but the colour of the meat remained redder and the rancidity of the fat content was delayed until the shelf life expiration. This improved both the presentation and condition of the product.

Other tests on pasta based products, in this case tortellini, improved the stale odour of the first, by the introduction an aroma based on artichokes and porcini mushrooms as well as improving the flavour profile in some pack formats. In another test on egg fresh pasta, the introduction of a few parts per million (ppm) of a vanilla aroma eliminated sulphide issues associated with egg odours for up to 45 days.

Rhoman Rossi, a member of the marketing team at Siad explained, “Consumer acceptance of pre-packaged proteins and fresh produce products can depend on a number of factors, not just the look of it inside the pack. If there is a bad odour when the pack is opened this can have a profound effect on the consumers’ perception of the quality and usability. Aroma+ is a simple solution which can be fitted to existing MAP lines and turn a potential negative reaction into a highly positive one.”