Data is the heartbeat of every thriving modern company. Cars, machines, phones and entertainment devices, for example, generate more data than ever, feeding into the ceaseless stream of bits and bytes that connects consumers and companies.
In light of pandemic-related trends toward e-commerce shopping, how can retailers re-engage consumers in the bricks-and-mortar experience? The answer, according to AIPIA’s communications director Andrew Manly, lies in the successful and comprehensive usage of smart packaging...
By some estimates, one-third of all food produced for human consumption in the world is lost or wasted every year. How can our industry help to solve this issue? One of the answers, according to Joshua Young, Circular Economy Manager at PragmatIC Semiconductor, is smart packaging...
Essentra Packaging has announced its collaboration with Advanced Material Development (AMD) in developing a new generation of Time Temperature Indicators (TTIs), a smart packaging technology for the pharmaceutical sector....
Avery Dennison Smartrac, a longstanding AIPIA member, has announced new features to its atma.io connected product cloud, first launched in 2021. The new features will help transform how brands meet net-zero targets and reduce waste across the supply chain, it says...
A team of scientists from the University of Alicante in Spain claims to have developed a food packaging material from pineapple waste that can increase shelf life. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop an edible film, and researchers are also investigating the material’s aroma-enhancing properties....
Nextech AR Solutions Corp., a Metaverse Company and provider of augmented reality (AR) experiences, has teamed up with Bothwell Cheese to place a QR code triggered and floor anchored hologram on its cheese labels...
Wiliot, the Internet of Things (IoT) innovator which combines self-powered, stamp-sized computers and cloud-based sensing to enable ‘things’ to communicate with brands, has announced an enhanced Works with Wiliot (WwW) partner program and a series of new partners, including Tactical Edge, Sensize, 2Plus, Digipal, Xsights, VisionID, MLINK, Codegate, Blyott, and SATO....
Schreiner MediPharm has launched its upgraded Smart Blister Wallet – a digitally-enabled tool that allows pharmaceutical manufacturers to track compliance in their clinical trial participants automatically and with greater flexibility....
Wouldn’t it be great if consumers could make product touchpoints, such as the packaging they come in, their ‘go-to’ resource for product information? New AIPIA member Tapps, believes they will if the pack is presented as a channel for routine engagement, rather than one-off promotions.
Polysecure GmbH and plastics processor Röchling Industrial are launching SmartMarker, an innovative marker technology for plastic products that offers new opportunities for counterfeit protection, the development of digital material passports, and recycling....
AIPIA is pleased to announce the launch of two live events during the autumn of 2022. They will be organised under the Associations new partnership arrangements with Packaging Europe bringing the resources and expertise of both organisations together for the first time...
AIPIA member Avery Dennison Smartrac has acquired TexTrace, an integrated RFID products company, with a strategy to provide textile RFID labels that remain on garments for their entire lifetime, either in a sewn-on label or built into a product's seam.
Geek Bar, a Chinese supplier of vaping products, has launched a range of new packaging to help combat counterfeit and non-compliant items. The new packaging places greater emphasis on an ‘on-pack’ security code. Retailers can check the authenticity of products by verifying the security code online.
A US based hologram developer, Holographyx has been granted USA and European patents for its Holo-Blister® product, for the development of an innovative and cost-effective method to apply holograms to the back of pharmaceutical blister packs. Holo-Blister holograms have been designed so they will only be visible behind each pill/capsule cavity on the back of each blister pack, while continuing to allow the printing of dosage and marketing information on the area surrounding the cavity.
Australian winemaker Accolade Wines has unveiled “Banrock Station”, an Augmented Reality (AR) experience that takes users around the world to check out some of the company’s 130+ environmental projects. Also they can plant their own virtual tree in support of Banrock’s commitment to plan 100,000 native trees and shrubs every year.
In its continuing efforts to discover and develop innovative technologies for the packaging industry, global packaging supplier Amcor, a longstanding member, has announced a USD$5m strategic investment in another AIPIA member, PragmatIC Semiconductor, a leading developer and manufacturer of ultra, low-cost printed flexible electronics (PE).
Longstanding AIPIA member Digimarc has partnered with fellow member Printpack, a major US packaging converter and Israeli compostable packaging specialist, TIPA on a successful proof-of-principal of new sortation technology for compostable packaging.
A recent study by researchers at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, published in the PLOS One open access channel, found older adults are open to the use of smart packaging to improve medication adherence. The ability to learn the product easily was important for consistent use, while downsides were device size, lack of portability and if the device acted inconsistently.
Avery Dennison Smartrac (ADS) has announced the introduction of ultra-small form factor versions of two of its NFC products: AD Circus Mini NTAG213 and AD Microblock ICODE SLIX. The company says this is anticipating demand for ever-smaller tagging options in the retail, packaging , pharmaceutical and beauty sectors.
As fake medications and pharmaceutical products proliferate across online pharmacies, which can be easily accessed via smartphone a new anticounterfeiting technology can turn the phone into a potentially lifesaving security device by simply taking a picture of a cyber-physical watermark to confirm if the medication is real or not.
Superplum, an Indian-based startup, has developed a cold chain solution for fresh fruit called the Fresherator, which reportedly keeps produce fresh for up to four weeks.
AIPIA member Wiliot, the Internet of Things (IoT) specialist, providing self-powered, stamp-sized computers and cloud-based privacy and sensing which enables “things” to communicate with manufacturers, has announced the launch of the Wiliot Starter Kit. The kit contains everything retailers need to experience the IoT transformation that Wiliot represents, it says. It includes postage stamp sized computers, IoT Pixels from fellow member Identiv, pre-mounted on both cardboard and a coffee cup.
Schreiner MediPharm’s Freeze-Lock cryo label features an interlocking layer solution offering adhesive strength and readability for the processing, storage, and transport of deep-frozen medicine containers.
Mars Wrigley has launched limited-edition Skittles Pride Packs in Australia, donating its rainbow to support LGBTQIA+ communities. It features a QR code taking consumers to a special Augmented Reality (AR) experience.
A large amount of R&D is happening in the active/antimicrobial food packaging film space. Here is a quick overview of some of the many projects showing promise.
A team of scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, USA, has developed a ‘smart’ food packaging material that is biodegradable, sustainable and kills microbes that are harmful to humans, they claim. It could also extend the shelf-life of fresh fruit by two to three days.
High tech RPCs lead investigators to the illegal recycling location: In 2021, a major plastic container theft sting was executed in Cook County, Illinois. It resulted in the discovery of an illegal plastic regrind operation which was grinding reusable containers (RPCs) and trays stolen by a network of more than 30 vehicles and dozens of individuals. The regrind and intact containers discovered at the operation are valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Despite the fact that it is vilified today in many quarters plastic packaging is generally understood to protect fruits and vegetables from spoilage in grocery stores. However it also creates significant amounts of waste. Together with the retailer Lidl Switzerland, Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology have now developed a protective cover for fruit and vegetables based on renewable raw materials. For this project, Lidl chose Empa for its research experience with cellulose products.
Idvac Ltd, a specialist in advanced vacuum and thin film technology, has been investigating the properties of some Liquid Crystals (LCs) for packaging and security applications. LCs are molecules which have properties between those of conventional liquids and those of solid crystals. They can be aligned by an applied electric field or other methods which changes their optical properties.
In a new feature of the AIPIA newsletter for 2022, members are asked to tell their product story, using real examples of their technology in action. To kick off, Peter James of EVRYTHNG, now a Digimarc company, explains how connected packaging can be theatre: it can create a story.
AIPIA (the Active and Intelligent Packaging Industry Association) and Packaging Europe have entered into a strategic partnership aiming to accelerate uptake of smart packaging innovation across FMCG at every stage of supply chains and retail.
SAP, a German headquartered market leader in enterprise application software, has announced a smart app to track, trace and authenticate prescription medicines in the United States. Developed in partnership with leading global pharmaceutical research company Boehringer Ingelheim,
The CurvCode digital watermark sorting system for plastic waste, which featured at the recent AIPIA Congress, is set to make its first appearance on supermarket shelves in the Netherlands with Bond Seafood’s recyclable packaging for fish designed by MULTIVAC, says a report in Packaging Europe.
Identiv, an AIPIA member specializing in digital security and identification in the Internet of Things (IoT), recently announced a strategic partnership with TrueGreen to digitize cannabis products and smart packaging with radio frequency identification (RFID) and near field communication (NFC) technology. The collaboration supports asset tracking throughout the supply chain, authenticates products and protects against package tampering.
A recent research report published in Molecules magazineinvestigatesthe antioxidant properties of a biofilm produced from onion pulp and how it could be an attractive primary material for the storage and preservation of processed meat products such as beef patties. Using these biofilms would increase the shelf-life of perishable products, as well as provide protection against microbial contamination, it claims. The research was undertaken in Brazil by several Universities and research organisations.
Here is a final roundup of some of the Smart Packaging stories hitting the headlines during November and December: Digimarc acquires fellow AIPIA member EVRYTHNG. Dutch apparel brand rolls out RFID. Introducing the worlds first ‘smart’ perfume. A nano-based food packing material is developed in India. Checkpoint delivers better readability for drug packaging tag. CVS rolls out Spoken Rx to all its pharmacies. Finally: to all our loyal readers Merry Christmas and a SMART 2022!
A roundup of five smart packaging stories in the news: SpotSee's Do Not ReFreeze label; Ardagh Metal introduces its colour to colour thermochromic tech for cans; SavrPak now offers a smart patch to keep takeaway food in transit warm and bacteria free; CareTech Services and LocatorX offer a new flexible tracking solution; and Authentix celebrate a Presidential award for exports
AIPIA member Kezzler, a leading cloud-based enterprise traceability solutions provider and Arviem, a major provider of IoT enabled multimodal real-time visibility services, have announced a strategic partnership offering end-to-end supply chain product traceability and digitization. The companies say integrating these technologies will allow true end-to-end product traceability by combining unit level product digitization and aggregation, with global real-time IoT sensor data, collected during a product's multi-modal global journey.
Budweiser has launched limited-edition English Premier League packaging featuring a scan-to-win competition. The new packaging, which includes an image of the iconic Premier League trophy, is available in convenience, grocery and wholesale channels throughout England. The design is running across Budweiser and Budweiser Zero cans and bottles.
Amcor Capsules has launched IMPRESSIONS, a technology developed in collaboration with French company MGJ, a specialist in the design and manufacture of seals for containers. It enables brands to customize closure liners, such as the underside of bottle caps. The CMYK colour printing technology allows brands to print anything from QR codes to colourful logos, for direct, digital engagement with consumers
Global food processing and packaging company and AIPIA member Tetra Pak has launched a new ‘universal’ connected experience accessed via its smart packaging, available to all brands, it says. In what it claims as a first for the packaging industry, the new Tetra Pak Iberia connected experience, created in partnership with digital experiences studio Appetite Creative, aims to help a variety of brands engage directly with customers without the need for initial digital development costs.
AIPIA is collaborating with global consultancy group Accenture in a groundbreaking project which will focus on the misconceptions many Brand Owners and other companies hold around smart connected packaging ...
Anti-counterfeit and consumer engagement solutions provider YPB Group, an AIPIA member headquartered in Australia, has secured a three-year take or pay supply contract valued at A$181,000 (RMB870,000) with Chines electronic cigarette and vaporiser technology manufacturer Kingtons Technology, based in Shenzhen.
The digital economy can help us prevent packaging waste, say researchers at Lancaster University and University of St Andrews, in the UK who are working with the founders of Reath, a start-up business based in Edinburgh, Scotland, with a mission to build the digital infrastructure for reuse, according to an recent report in Industry Intelligence.
Following its Beerscans and Winerytale Augmented Reality (AR) experiences (see newsletter 06/04/21) Australian-based Immertia, is rolling out a new AR platform , the appropriately named ‘Swigr’ tohelp consumers and producers connect throughalcoholic beverage product packaging. The ARplatform is rolling out to the global alcoholic beverage market, with beer, cider, and seltzer brands as prime targets, according to a recent report in Australian packaging journal PKN.
Tageos and label company All4Labels, both long time members of AIPIA, have announced their cooperation in the field of sustainable RFID inlays and tags. With a common goal to drive and foster sustainable RFID products across all industries, the French-based RFID specialist will now offer the new Zero Max RFID inlays powered by All4Labels´ eRFID antennas to the market.
Identiv Inc, an AIPIA member prominent in the field of RFID inlays and tags, has announced a collaboration with OTACA Tequila. This utilizes near field communication (NFC) to enable authentication, product provenance and transparency, customer loyalty and brand awareness. Identiv’s NFC transponders connect consumers and brands into an Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem where consumer engagement is present in each digital touchpoint, it claims.
Two companies, both based in the APAC region, are offering digital fingerprints which, they claim, are an upgrade to the security currently offered by QR codes. Laava, based in Australia and Cymmetrik, originating from Taiwan, have both developed technologies they have dubbed ‘fingerprinting’,offering enhanced features.
A Digital DRS (Deposit Return Scheme) is a new approach to Deposit Return Schemes, enabled through digital tracking of consumer products. It promises improved DRS performance to help step-change circular economies at significantly lower cost and carbon footprint according to Ivan Gonzalez, CEO of Recycl3R. He will introduce the scheme for the first time during his presentation at the AIPIA Congress on November 16th.
Swiss milk processor, Emmi and multinational food packaging company, Tetra Pak, have launched a new augmented reality (AR) connected experience accessed via its smart packaging. Created in partnership with digital experiences studio, Appetite Creative, the AR enabled features looks to encourage healthy, happy and positive lifestyles among customers, claim the companies.
Timestrip, a member of AIPIA, has introduced a new temperature indicator that helps healthcare professionals avoid wastage of vaccines. Travelling with packs of vaccine vials, the Vaccine Freezer Moni-tor VFM -7?C is activated just when monitoring is required.
AIPIA is always looking out for seasonal applications of Smart Packaging technology. So it was good to find one of the big Beasties of the snacks market, Pringles, is getting into the spirit and putting a costume on its iconic can to celebrate everyone's favourite spooky holiday, Halloween. The Brand has released new limited-edition Glow-in-the-Dark cans in two Halloween flavours: 'Sour Scream & Onion' and 'Oooriginal'.
Some stories about new developments across the Smart Packaging sector
U-NICA was founded in 2004 with the aim of bringing the expertise of banknote protection and authentication to other industries. This has led to the development of the scryptoTRACE suite, a holistic brand protection solution that incorporates a variety of measures to maintain a company’s brand and product reputation. Part of this suite is a brand new Digital Security Label (DSL).
Jenton Dimaco’s high performance Veri-PACK label verification systems are found widely across a range of food manufacturing sites, to provide accurate data, including use by dates, country of origin and allergen information which are critical for the retail customer. The latest applications and a full technology overview will be one of the Keynote presentations at the up-coming AIPIA Congress (November 16th).
“Make no mistake,” says Ohad Perry, director of business development, supply chain, at Wiliot. “Plastic has an important role to play in a more sustainable world. Reusable plastic, ‘Smart’ plastic, can hasten the creation of a more circular economy, reduce waste all along supply chains, increase food safety and more.”...
This November 16th AIPIA brings you the premier event for the Smart Packaging sector: Smart Packaging Solutions for Digitalization, Supply Chain and Sustainability. The event promises to be a (data) mine of information about how digital, connected packaging is disrupting the way Brand owners can use their packaging for consumer engagement, traceability, product security and even sustainable solutions....
The USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently launched the “New Era of Smarter Food Safety" Low- or No-Cost Tech-Enabled Traceability Challenge, with the objective of achieving seamless traceability at no cost to the consumer and so “advance the widespread, consistent implementation of traceability systems across the food industry,” according to the FDA...
Research teams at the University of Cadiz in Spain and the University of Aveiro in Portugal have developed a bioactive or functionalized plastic made from nano-fibrillated cellulose and mango leaf extracts that preserves food longer than non-functionalized plastics, they claim...
New AIPIA member Microtrace has patent-pending technology which integrates with FMCG smart-device consumable systems to identify genuine consumables from low cost generics, private label or counterfeit alternatives and provide real-time consumer behaviour data, plus actionable market intelligence, it says...
Beyond Good, a single origin chocolate company, built on a foundation of sustainable and ethically sourced cocoa, will introduce new packaging for its single-origin Madagascar and Uganda bars this autumn. The packaging is designed to highlight unique properties of single-origin cocoa...
Elcoflex Ltd, based in Finland, an AIPIA member manufacturing copper based RFID antennas, has developed a new low-cost Smart Label concept based on a printed battery and readily available RFID chips. Current Smart Sensors use an embedded microprocessor system for analogue signal processing which, says the company, leads to a higher unit price...
Tageos, an AIPIA member supplying RFID inlays and tags, has launched the EOS-202 U9 RAIN RFID inlay, which it claims has the smallest form factor available today for healthcare and pharmaceutical applications The new inlay has successfully passed tests specified by the Auburn University RFID Lab Spec S and is certified by DoseID for a broad range of pharmaceutical and healthcare purposes...
Kellogg’s UK announced recently that, following a successful trial, new smart packaging technology will be permanently added to all of its Europe-bound cereal boxes to make them accessible to blind and partially sighted people. This announcement comes after a successful UK trial last year( see AIPIA newsletter 14-10-20) in partnership with Co-op, on Kellogg’s Coco Pops boxes...
USA cereal brand REESE’S PUFFS has released a new campaign using Augmented Reality, AR. Through the use AR technology, Reese’s is allowing customers to turn their cereal boxes into a groovebox or synth.
Hot on the heels of Toppan, who have integrated NFC tags into paper packaging (AIPIA newsletter 21-07-21), ISBC, a Russia based RFID solutions developer has collaborated with AIPIA member, SAPPI – a global paper and packaging material supplier - to present an innovative new smart paper with embedded RFID chips. The chips are embedded into the paper sheet without any impact on the paper surface, which remains flat and smooth...
AIPIA member PragmatIC Semiconductor, a leading supplier of flexible electronics, has announced it is working on an Innovate UK, Manufacturing Made Smarter project to increase the quality of plastic recyclate. In the project, code-named SORT?IT, packaging will be given unique digital IDs to facilitate the tracking and separation of packaging waste in a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). The aim is to improve recovery through digitizing waste sorting using PragmatIC‘s low-cost RFID...
Brazil’s postal service Correios Brazil is testing RFID based systems to improve processes and offer new postal services around the world. Under the auspices of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a United Nations agency that coordinates postal policies among member countries, Brazil is implementing the use of smart packaging technologies in letters and especially in boxes - a major feature of e-commerce. The systems are up and running and follow the global RFID GS1 standards.
The team at Appetite Creative recently developed an augmented reality (AR) application, accessible on mobile phones via QR codes, found on cans of fruit juice drink Rani Float. Customers had to scan all four flavours in the correct order to get access to an entry form, which entered them to win tickets to the final of a coveted soccer match. ..
Blue Diamond is using Augmented Reality (AR) to educate and entertain consumers on their Almond Breeze plant based milk brand, with technology that links the packaging to a website, rather than a dedicated app, to provide consumer convenience. The AR experience is accessible from the dedicated website that opens up when users scan a QR code on the container, says the report in Packaging World...
Nestlé is the first company in Vietnam to opt for SIG’s innovative QR code closure solution “One Cap, One Code” for one-to-one online marketing opportunities. The aim is to appeal in particular to Gen Z consumers and to strengthen brand loyalty via a differentiated reward program, it says.
A company is making paper packaging products for the food industry using crop waste materials such as apple skins, avocado peel and mango pips. UK-based Tensei has a database of nearly 400 fibres which would otherwise be wasted, including non-wood pulps such as wheat, hemp, bagasse and abaca. The start-up is using these materials to make plastic- and wood-free paper packaging products for industries including food.
Rockwell Automation one of the world’s largest suppliers of industrial automation and digital transformation, has announced a partnership with AIPIA member Kezzler, the cloud-based product digitization and traceability platform, to help manufacturers capture the journey of their products from raw material sources to point-of-sale or beyond, using cloud-based supply chain solutions that focus on product traceability.
For its latest perfume launch, Phantom, Paco Rabanne, in close collaboration with VPI, has developed a refillable spray cap in the shape of a robot head that connects consumers to a unique digital space via the use of NFC technology.
Sprite, the Coca-Cola owned soda brand, has launched a new ‘Live from the Label’ initiative. Announced in June, its focus is celebrating some of the biggest names and up-and-coming names in hip hop. QR codes appear on special 20-oz bottles of Sprite and Sprite Zero Sugar. By scanning the codes on the labels consumers can receive tickets to a series of summer hip hop concerts.
Phillips Distilling Company, a US pioneer in flavours and spirits innovation has announced its largest consumer repositioning effort in the company’s over 100 year history, with a series of packaging innovations and a new product launch intended for today's modern spirits drinker, it says.
Here is a round up of some of the latest business and market news involving Smart Packaging: Stories cover Mars & Microsoft, Markem-Imaje & Blue Bites, Honeywell, Authentix, KMPG on illicit cigarettes in the Europe, and Good News about QR Codes & Connected Packaging generally...
AIPIA member SML Group has released an inlay for the pharmaceutical industry, designed for tracking single-dose drugs produced in disposable vials. The new product, known as the GB32U9, is SML's smallest inlay to date, according to the report in RFID Journal and is engineered to transmit data effectively when applied to vials filled with liquid and made from plastic or glass packaging...
AIPIA member Scantrust and ePac Flexible Packaging have announced a global agreement to bring smart, connected packaging solutions to brands of all sizes, including small and medium-sized businesses. Through ePacConnect, which was announced in October of 2020, the companies offer secure, serialized QR codes on all of ePac’s packaging and provide access to a suite of Scantrust applications for consumer engagement, brand protection, and track and trace...
Approximately 50 million tons of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste is produced annually, largely due to food and drink packaging, particularly soda and water bottles of all shapes and sizes. Scientists have been looking for ways to cut down on this waste and a study for Green Chemistryshows it may now be possible. Using genetically-modified bacteria, a team at Edinburgh University in Scotland, has been able to convert PET plastic waste into vanilla flavouring...
Longstanding AIPIA member Toppan, a provider of communication, security, packaging, décor materials and electronics solutions, has integrated tamper-evident NFC tag functions into the structure of paper-based and other packages to develop a new type of smart packaging that enhances security and helps streamline the manufacturing process, while also preserving package design, according to the company...
A Swiss food testing company SwissDeCode has launched the A2 INSIDE Label, which is intended to help end user to identify the efforts of dairy producers in guaranteeing authentic A2 milk products. The label will be used by companies who analyze their herds and milk batches with the rapid DNA tests from the company...
Tech Mahindra a major Indian IT company is partnering with start-up StaTwig, a Singapore and Hyderabad, India based digital supply chain solution provider, to implement a new blockchain-based traceability solution for vaccines, VaccineLedger. The partnership aims to roll-out the solution for international vaccine supply chain transparency to predict and prevent failures in these supply chains, including problems related to expired vaccines, stock shortages and counterfeiting...
Kezzler, a leading AIPIA member providing traceability solutions,and Farmforce, a source of first mile data by large multinational corporations, have announced the creation of a new partnership for end-to-end Field-to-Fork traceability...
Mondelez International has confirmed that customers purchasing its Triscuit brand crackers will be able to trace the journey of the white-winter wheat used in some crackers from a co-op of farmers in Michigan to where the product is made. The global snack company said the supply chain transparency pilot is the first of its kind for Mondel?z in North America...
Proving that even simple ‘smart’ solutions on packaging can be effective, Zydus Cadila, an Indian pharma company, has introduced a new feature called Zydus Verify in its packaging of critical drugs.This helps patients ensure that the product is not fake or counterfeit. The company has incorporated a new IT enabled scratch code which will be printed under a scratchable surface...
Global hardware and software company Cisco has deployed an RFID solution at the Cisco Store based at its corporate headquarters, as well as in a traveling store that pops up wherever Cisco conferences take place. The company sells its own branded merchandise and apparel and claims its retail model is unique, in that it comes in these two distinct formats: the traveling stores and the permanent HQ location in San Jose, California. The solution, provided by RFID company Keonn, is now live at both formats, says the report in RFID Journal...
Nestlé will shortly launch a new Smart Seas special-edition of its confectionery brandSmarties in Europe.It comes in paper packaging with a theme of marine animals, available in four different designs, according to a report in Industry Intel. By scanning the packaging's QR code with a mobile phone consumers can bring marine animals to life via anaugmented reality (AR) feature...
JCB Collection has launched a solution using AIPIA member Avery Dennison’s Smartrac technology combined with SUKU’s traceability and transparency solution for its Passion red wine, enabling consumers to tap their smartphone against a bottle's label and view videos, tasting note and othercontent about the winery, the product and its origins, from creator Jean-Charles Boisset (JCB)...
With the AIPIA China Summit (Shanghai 23rd June) less than two weeks away the strong agenda is already attracting considerable interest from Chinese Brand Owners and packaging/supply chain experts. The event is the first fully ‘live’ AIPIA event since the pandemic and, while delegates across China can also attend remotely AIPIA China is confident that around 200 ‘in person’ delegates will be present...
This month saw HP’sdigital printing arm, HP Indigo, launch HP Indigo Secure, a suite of ‘never-before-seen’ security and brand protection solutions, it claims. These solutions will help security printers and print service providers protect their customers from counterfeiters and other product threats, which now cost trillions of dollars every year, it says...
Aptar CSP Technologies, a longstanding AIPIA member which develops active packaging solutions (part of AptarGroup), has announced its Activ-Film™ technology is being used to protect two new ‘athome’ COVID-19 tests,both of which recently received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the USA’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA)...
Mettler Toledo Product Inspection has announced a strategic partnership with, AIPIA memberEVRYTHNG, pioneers of the Product Cloud. The partnership provides food manufacturers, retailers and brand owners with an end-to-end traceability and food production reporting solution...
Several developments in the Smart Packaging arena in Australia indicates increasing implementation and investment in active and intelligent packaging technologies.
EY, better known to some as Ernst & Young, has announced that Italian beer brand Birra Peroni, part of the Japanese Asahi Group, is now using EY OpsChain Traceability on the public Ethereum blockchain for supply chain traceability. The solution mints non-fungible tokens (NFTs), providing a unique, digital certificate of ownership for each batch of beer...
Belgian fresh fruit and vegetable auctioneers Coöperatie Hoogstraten has worked with RFID technology supplier Aucxis to provide visibility and to track the movements of its strawberries throughout the supply chain. The system enables it to ensure fast and efficient delivery of its empty cardboard trays and punnets to growers for packaging the fruit. The berries are then tracked through the delivery of product to auction sites, stores and consumers.
Diabetes patients depending on lifelong insulin treatment have to administer the vital medication to themselves using insulin pumps, syringes or pens. Ypsomed produces a disposable pen, UnoPen™, with variable dose setting, for this and other multidose therapies. Schreiner MediPharm has developed an NFC-Label for this injection aid that serves as a communication interface between the injector and the SmartPilot™—an electronic pen add-on. The resulting smart device interactively supports patients using the pen and helps them adhere to their therapy plans.
Stora Enso's ECO Meal UHF RFID tag for the food and beverage industry has a printed paper antenna and can be applied to, or built into, microwaveable packaged foods without posing a fire or arcing hazard, says the company. The tag rounds out AIPIA member Stora Enso Intelligent Packaging’s portfolio of food and beverage RFID labels, known as the ECO RFID Food & Beverage Collection.
Kezzler, the cloud-based Level 4 traceability solutions provider and Syntegon Technology, one of the largest Level 1 to Level 3 process and packaging technology providers, both leading AIPIA members, have announced the creation of a new partnership for product digitization and traceability.
Dutch biotech company Parx Materials has partnered with Norwegian-based hygiene specialist ZincIn to develop an antibacterial food tray made from recycled fishing industry waste. Through a combination of Parx’s Saniconcentrate antimicrobial additive and ZincIn’s self-cleaning technology, the tray is said to offer an over 99.9% reduction in bacteria when compared with a typical food tray, according to a report in Plastics in Packaging.
Major USA salt producer Morton Salt says it’s “salty about food waste.” According to The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a typical American household of four throws out $1,600 worth of food each year. So the company has begun an initiative to inspire home cooks to turn forgotten foods into something delicious with their Erase Food Waste augmented reality (AR) experiences. These are accessible until the end of July 2021 via QR codes on specially marked culinary salts.
As we are regularly informed, about one third of food produced globally is wasted. Supermarkets are a major cause as they have a lot of food with a limited expiry date. To reduce this particular source of food waste, the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) has supported Israeli start-up company Wasteless, which has developed a smart algorithm that allows the application of dynamic pricing markdowns based on expiry dates.
Label solutions specialist Multi-Color Corporation and Digimarc, creator s of a platform for digital identification and detection, both longstanding AIPIA members, have announced a partnership to serialize product packaging and labels with Digimarc Barcode in support of food safety and traceability initiatives.
REVL, the AR consumer-engagement division of AIPIA member Chromaprint, based in India, has developed, in only two weeks, an augmented reality campaign, for beer brand ARNA, the first AR for a Nepalese consumer product. Instead of elaborating on the product characteristics, the brand chose to enable people to have fun and celebrate the Holi ‘Festival of Colours’ which took place all over the Indian subcontinent in March. For the uninitiated the Holi revelers splash brightly coloured (washable!) paints powders or inks over just about everyone and everything!
Packaging built with Michigan State University ( MSU) nano electronics expertise could help create a more intelligent supply chain, it claims. Researchers are working to develop smart packaging to improve the world’s food safety and security with the support of new grant of $500K from the US Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Uniqueid a Turkish based company specializing in IoT Technologies and UHF RFID Systems, has come up with a smart cup system to deliver your favourite beer or coffee without touching a thing. Based on an NFC chip attached to, or embedded in, the cup or glass, the special coffee machines or beer taps recognise your unique glass and pours out a pre-selected drink without the need for any human action...
Two schemes, one private and the other state sponsored, look to improve food safety and security using traceability including ‘on pack’ or consignment smart packaging features. In the USA a food supply chain specialist ReposiTrak is setting up a consortium with the aim of developing an open, low-cost approach to food tracing technology. Meanwhile China has implemented mandatory traceability requirements for all foods transported via cold chain, which it believes could be the cause of Covid 19 transmission...
Amcor China has collaborated with JD Farm, which is part of China’s largest on-line retailer JD.com, to create the next generation of packaging for a more effective and interactive consumer engagement, they claim. The jointly created NFC (Near Field Communication)-enabled packaging uses state-of-the-art technology to give consumers access to information about the quality, safety and origin of JD Farm’s products...
Three stories which have appeared recently highlight the importance of Augmented Reality (AR) technology for big Brands in their marketing and messaging campaigns these days, according to reports in Industry Intelligence.
InnovationLab has announced a partnership with AIPIA member Evonik that will enable the first fully printed, flexible, rechargeable, solid-state, batteries for integration in printed sensor systems, they claim.
News that holograms could be ‘printed’ on food shows how innovation continues to push the technology’s boundaries, says the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA). This follows reports from the USA that scientists have moulded edible holograms onto chocolate...
1. Research Scientists from two Iranian Universities (Tabriz & Urmia) with Guelph University in Canada have developed bioactive, edible chitosan thin films laminated with electrospun nonwovens containing Zataria multiflora and cinnamon essential oils for active food packaging purposes. The bilayer films displayed enhanced antimicrobial, physical properties...
Tattoos are usually considered a form of personal expression, but a team of researchers in Europe have created what they’re say is world’s first light-emitting tattoo based on organic light emitting diode (OLED) screen technology that could serve as a visible warning about potential health issues or even to warn if food has passed its expiry date....
nMark is a new nano technology platform from Advanced Material Development (AMD), a UK-based AIPIA member which specializes in funding research into 2D nanotechnologies and materials. It has been developed to enable next generation provenance and anti-counterfeiting capabilities for products and packaging, says the company...
Toppan Printing a AIPIA member offering a range of printed security solutions has launched Near cross D 2.9, an RFID tag with a battery-free display that can enhance traceability, facilitate labour-saving, and drive paperless processes in manufacturing, distribution, and retail, it says...
The two Brand Owner Challenges by pharmaceutical giant Takeda and international food behemoth Kraft Heinz were hotly contested by over 20 companies. Each company had just three minutes to get their product/concept across to a panel of experts from these Brands. So just doing the Challenge was quite a challenge! Add the fact this was all being done on line then the factor of difficulty was almost off the scale. In the end it all went off remarkably smoothly, as usual brilliantly coordinated by AIPIA’s Eef de Ferrante, and each Brand chose a ‘top four’ with whom they will continue discussions...
AIM, the European Brands Association, has officially launched HolyGrail 2.0 with 85 partner companies across the value chain, to prove the viability of digital watermarking for sorting waste at scale. Several leading AIPIA members are involved in this project which was the subject of a Panel Discussion in the recent Virtual Congress ‘Recycling and Sustainability.... where digital fits in’ involving one of the leading players in the project Digimarc...
At the AIPIA Smart Packaging virtual exhibition, Inspectron gave delegates the first opportunity to see its MagID marking technology, which provides advanced protection abilities for brands of any size, by enabling magnetic ink codes to be printed on or inside packaging...
Just to prove that Smart Packaging is developing a truly global footprint, last week, Chekkit Technologies, a Nigerian startup, founded in 2018, that offers product verification, anti-counterfeiting solutions, announced that it secured a partnership to pilot its technology in Afghanistan for pharmaceutical products...
Researchers from Purdue University in Indiana, USA hope their new technology can help transform paper sheets from a notebook into a music player interface or make food packaging interactive. The university’s engineers have developed a simple printing process that renders any paper or cardboard packaging into a keyboard, keypad or other easy-to-use human-machine interfaces. This technology was published in the Aug. 23 edition of Nano Energy...
Mission Produce an advanced avocado network, has partnered with Hazel Technologies to launch AvoLast by Hazel®, a new shelf-life extension program that gives avocados an three extra days of optimal ripeness on average, it says. Integrating Hazel® technology across Mission’s global supply chain will make it easier to enjoy the perfect avocado worldwide...
A new project, which will be launched on 22nd September this year aims to provide a portal for food innovators to see the latest developments and to share the information with other stakeholders in the Dutch language. A article will be published in the Netherlands and Belgian edition of New Scientist magazine as well as appearing on line via www.planet-cause.nl
Tapwow, an AIPIA member innovating in the field of smart packaging and customer connection, has announced they will partner with AIPIA to present touchless engagement experiences to entertain and educate attendees as part of the AIPIA Virtual Congress on September 10, 2020...
One of the newest, but already one of the biggest names in Packaging Technology Syntegon Technology (the new name of Robert Bosch Packaging) is making its Congress debut with a presentation on a very ‘hot’ topic, even in these pandemic-dominated times. Fit for Sustainability - How smart packaging and digitization can support players along the value chain will present a practical concept that can link packages to value chain data in order to make good sustainable solutions even better...
While the European Cannabidiol (CBD) industry remains plagued by regulatory uncertainties, the Cannabinoid Association of the Netherlands (CAN) has unveiled a free blockchain-based CBD tracker for customers to trace a product’s journey from seed-to-sale...
AIPIA member Parkside Flexibles, a UK based flexible packaging laminator and printer, has collaborated with high-tech surface protection suppliers, Touchguard™, to launch a new packaging solution incorporating an antibacterial coating. The new development enables brands to protect consumers against bacteria and viruses, including Covid-19...
Serpiente Ultra Premium Tequila is the first spirit under the umbrella of Mayo Akindele’s Houston, Texas based liquor importation company Nomad Spirits Company. This tequila is made from 100% Weber Blue Agave & bottled in one of a kind crystal glass king cobra bottles in the town of Tequila, Jalisco, he says. To make Serpiente, the distillery selects a mixture of 50% Highland Agave and 50% Lowland Agave and use naturally refined water that’s been treated via reverse osmosis and deionization...
One of the cornerstones of intelligent packaging development has been the increasing use of RFID and NFC technology. As Raghu Das will predict, based on an impartial analysis, IDTechEx expects that almost 21 billion packages sold in 2030 will feature an electronic feature to enhance the package and the market global demand for electronic smart packaging features will be a $895 million by then, from around $55 million today...
Specialty inks that are popular among consumers for creating special effects on packaging for beer, soda and candy are now feasible for water and soda fountain cups as a result of AIPIA member Chromatic Technologies’ invention of solvent-specialty inks, it says...
Aptar Food + Beverage, an AIPIA member offering a wide range of food protection solutions and proprietary active packaging systems for seafood and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, has launched its SEAWELL™ Protective Packaging System with a leading US retailer, in more than 3,800 store locations. A first-of-its-kind active packaging solution, the SEAWELL™ system is designed to preserve seafood freshness and maintain optimal quality from sea to table, says the company...
SIG is extending its range of PAC.ENGAGE QR code solutions into closures with the launch of ‘One Cap, One Code’ for one-to-one online marketing opportunities, aiming fully at consumers. The company says its unique digital closure solution will be launched initially in the combiGo closure for on-the-go packs. It enables food and beverage customers to apply QR codes to the inside of closures, which are only visible to the consumer...
COVID-19 has had a remarkable impact on the food supply chain and issues such as food safety, security and reducing waste. Even before it reaches the consumer, hundreds of thousands of tonnes of food are wasted every year. In its presentation at the Congress Jenton Dimarco will explain that much of this is due to food labelling errors, which can lead to costly product withdrawals...
As part of our new partnership with The IoP Journal in Brazil we are featuring extracts from a recent interview with Marcel Sacco, general director of Hershey Brasil, which explores the company vision about the use of Smart Packaging and general trends in this technology. Sacco spoke about the benefits achieved in several campaigns using smart packaging and its growing needs for this kind of technology...
A product design student from Ravensbourne University in London, UK, has replaced the many plastic sachets that accompany a pack of instant noodles with an edible, spice-infused wrapper that breaks down when cooked to season the broth. Holly Grounds develops the dissolvable ramen packaging after becoming frustrated with the many small bits of plastics waste generated by traditional instant noodle packs...
A team from the Research Centre for Bio-based Chemistry at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) has developed a cold-chain safety sticker based on nano-fibre technology. The sticker indicates whether any cold-chain food products, such as fish, meat, or fruits and vegetables, may have spoiled, by being exposed to temperatures outside the permitted range...
Following the introduction of its integrated security label recently (see AIPIA News 4/6/20) Swiss ink producer and AIPIA member, SICPA and another member, Belgian label printing company REYNDERS have joined forces to strengthen their brand protection and anti-counterfeiting efforts across Europe...
We may not be able to bring you the Reality of a face to face Congress this year, but already the AIPIA Virtual Congress on 10th September 2020 is shaping up to be the best Smart Packaging encounter of the year! More than 30 speakers and 22 booth holders (already) in the presentation area means there is a real buzz of expectation...
Bacardi has used a digital printing technology supplied by Dekron on an O-I: Expressions bottle to customize a limited edition promotion. The company has replaced the usual sleeve label with direct-to-bottle digital printing, using organic inks. In addition, an innovative Augmented Reality (AR) experience and a Snapchat Lens can be unlocked via the Snapcode on the bottle...
Smartrac, a longstanding AIPIA member which is now part of Avery Dennison, has announced the introduction of its new Circus Tamper Loop Pro inlays and tags, combining tamper detection and highly secure product authentication in one NFC product, it says. This is the first offering based on the SIC43NT chip from another PPMA member, Silicon Craft. The new inlays and tags complement Smartrac’s “Pro” series for ‘one-time password’ product authentication...
VerifyMe, which provides digital technology solutions, specializing in counterfeit prevention, authentication, serialization, data mining, track & trace, features for labels, packaging and products, has announced its first VeriPASTM track and trace technology order from the cannabis industry...
Cargill, the multinational food producer, headquartered in Minneapolis, USA has launched three new chicken products for the Chinese market, using blockchain technology to ensure their traceability to customers. The company has formed a partnership with the China Animal Health and Food Safety Alliance (CAFA)...
Inuru, based in Berlin, Germany, has announced a € 2.3 Million Series-A funding round led by the Warsaw based venture capital fund ARIA. It will setup an automated production line to increase production capacities of its recyclable luminous packaging and labelling products. These are capable of lighting up, warning and displaying small animation and even contain videos, in future...
Today every CPG industry is looking for supply chain visibility. Whilst many examples can show this process at the level of one brand and its supply-chain, there are few examples of large-scale platforms. Now the European tobacco sector operates a traceability system which gives visibility across the entire supply-chain, via a digital marker on the packaging, according to Swiss headquartered developers Dentsu Tracking...
According to its most recent update on the impact of counterfeiting within the EU, the Union’s Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) estimates that the loss of direct sales in the key sectors of cosmetics & personal care, wines & spirits and pharmaceuticals, is almost €18 billion (with all sectors accounting for €50 billion). Fakes account for around 14% (€9.5 billion) of total EU sales for cosmetics and personal care, 2.5% 0f pharmaceuticals (€6 billion) and more than 5% of wines and spirits (€2.3 billion). See 2020 STATUS REPORT ON IPR INFRINGEMENT...
Many legitimate personal protection equipment(PPE) products do not have an effective anti-counterfeit protection solution. In the fight to protect both products and consumers, Systech has offered PPE manufacturers an anti-counterfeiting software solution, the Systech Brand Protection Suite™, that is deployable within weeks and includes special terms and pricing...
A new technology, developed in Australia has the potential to defend the wine export industry against the booming global trade in counterfeit wines, according to a recent report in PKN. The eBottli suite of tracking and blockchain data technologies includes geolocating services for bottles or containers and identifier labels for winemakers, helping to guarantee a wine’s authenticity...
MIWA, a technology company based in Prague in the Czech Republic since 2014, has developed what it claims is a complete business ecosystem for smart-powered reusable packaging – an ecosystem based on a clean and effective way of selling goods while minimizing packaging waste.It has created a circular system of reusable capsules, which, by using smart technology, are adaptable for today’s logistics and fit the logistic and hygienic standards of today’s supermarket chains, it says.
SML Group, an AIPIA member with specialistRFID supply chain technology for apparel and footwear manufacturers and retailers, recently undertook a survey of 20 major companies in these sectors as they swing back into operation, following the COVID-19 shutdowns throughout Asia, Europe and North America. The survey indicates that bringing visibility back to the supply chain is a top priority.
AIPIA is pleased to announce that the GS1 organisation has become sponsor of this year’s Virtual Congress. Here, the not-for-profit organization, which develops and maintains global standards for business communication, explains how the barcode on a product can do more with GS1 Digital Link:
A start-up based in Essex, UK, Iris Photonics, has developed ground breaking technology for security holograms, it says. The technology makes it much harder for criminals to illegally forgea wide range of items such as identity documents and high security packaging forcar parts, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment - such asCOVID-19 testing kits - according to the father and son team.
Since its launch in late April the AIPIA Virtual Congress 2020 (10 September) has attracted wide support from all parts of the industry. The Association is pleased to announce that two global brands have agreed to host the Brand Owner Challenges, which have, and continue to form, a central part of the Congress proceedings:
EVRYTHNG, the AIPIA member providing digital identities for the world’s consumer products, has announced a long-term global partnership with another leading AIPIA member, HP Inc., a world leader in digital printing for packaging and publishing...
AIPIA member SICPA, an international product security, revenue realization and track and trace solutions company, headquartered in Switzerland, has announced the release of new, integrated product security labels with innovative, counterfeit-resistant visual effects; secure traceable codes; and covert features to protect brands and consumers...
Smartrac, now part of AIPIA member Avery Dennison and blockchain startup SUKU, have produced a digital verification solution to authenticate COVID-19 testing kits and personal protective equipment (PPE). The NFC-powered platform enables instant verification of authenticity and provides end-to-end supply chain transparency, they claim...
Scientists at the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) based in Mohali, India, have developed non-toxic, edible coating materials to improve shelf life of fruits & vegetables based on wheat straw hemicellulosic polysaccharide (WP) and stearic acid derivatized oat bran polysaccharide (SAOP) that promise to overcome the problems of highly perishable produce going bad before reaching the consumer – currently running at 25-30 percent in that country ...
AIPIA member Logmore, the Finnish data logging developer has closed a €4.5M Series A equity investment round. The round was led by Nordic Ninja VC (FIN) in partnership with Icebreaker VC (FIN), Trind Ventures (EST), Tekton Ventures (USA), and Jaakkoo-Taara (FIN), to fund Logmore’s global expansion.
EVRYTHNG, an AIPIA member providing digital identities for global consumer products, has announced its support for GS1 Digital Link 1.1, released earlier in 2020. The GS1 new global standard upgrades the universal barcode used by 2M manufacturers across the $13.5-trillion consumer products industry. This ensures that every product can now be web-connected and smartphone-interactive, it is claimed.
You either love it or you hate it, but according to a recent report in Food Navigator Asia, researchers in Malaysia have come up with a method to develop a packaging material, using the skin from Asia’s ‘king of fruits’, the Durian, which is both antimicrobial and biodegradable.
EM Microelectronic, an AIPIA member supplying ultra-low-power semiconductors, part of the Swatch Group, with RFID development stretching back 30 years, recently launched the em|echo-V, its enhanced product authentication dual-frequency RAINFC technology.
Solucan, a Quebec, Canada based digital beverage can printer, has joined with local microbreweries, in an effort to emphasise solidarity and locally sourced products during the current pandemic, through the use of augmented reality. Solucan partnered with Ô Quai des Brasseurs, Kombuchanv, le Temps d’une Pinte, and AIPIA member Zappar for the launch of “Scan the Can” #cavabienaller (#thingswillgetbetter).
US companies - both longstanding AIPIA members - Chromatic Technologies and American Thermal Instruments, have partnered to donate free-of-charge new printable temperature, tampering and authentication technology to protect all new COVID-19 drugs...
