AIMPLAS, a longstanding AIPIA member, has launched the SafetySenseO2 project to develop a printed sensor with the capacity to detect the presence of oxygen inside packaging. The company hopes that this will make it possible to detect in-line defects in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) in a non-destructive and economical way, as well as during transportation and storage...
CHO, based in Tunisia, and one of the largest olive oil producers in the southern Mediterranean, has announced that it is using IBM’s blockchain technology to provide traceability for its Terra Delyssa extra virgin olive oil. The company is the latest major food provider to join IBM’S Food Trust Network...
Connectivity and Integrity of the Supply Chain, being two hot topics of the pharmaceutical industry, will be addressed by Schreiner MediPharm at this year’s Pharmapack, to be held shortly in in Paris. The pharma label specialist will present a special product innovation: a Robust RFID-Label delivering reliable end-to-end functionality from production to final use, it says...
Several retailers are reporting increased use of RFID technology to improve the shopper, staff and security experience both in store and at check-out. Here are just a few examples, reported in RFID Journal and Electronics World:
Two leading AIPIA members, EVRYTHNG and Wiliot, have announced a new partnership to create low cost IoT tags. Wiliot’s battery-free Bluetooth chip harvests ambient energy in place of batteries. The technology recycles the radio waves around us to power sticker-size sensors that allow consumers to interact with products. Together with their partners, Wiliot is using printed electronics techniques to bundle this chip and sensors into secure, intelligent, low-cost tags or inlays...
AIPIA Member EVRYTHNG, the product cloud that connects consumer products to the Web to make them intelligent, interactive and trackable, has announced former Ogilvy Worldwide Managing Director, Keith Turco, has joined the company as president and managing director Americas. He brings world-class leadership in business growth and proven expertise in digital transformation applied in marketing for some of the world’s largest consumer brands, says the company...
Mark Rober, a former NASA engineer turned YouTube star who went viral last year (88 million views) for his glitter-bomb-fake-Amazon package has an updated model for the 2019 holiday season, according to an article in USA Today, as well as featuring on the BBC and several newsfeeds...
Blockchain is being used to ensure the authenticity of Sicilian blood oranges as part of the fight against counterfeit citrus fruits. The ROUGE (Red Orange Upgrading Green Economy) project has been initiated by the Blood Oranges of Sicily IGP Protection Consortium and technology company Almaviva...
Kanvas™, a provider of solutions designed to elevate the user experience for legal cannabis and cannabidiol (CBD) consumers, has launched KanvasAR™, an augmented reality (AR) experience. It give brands a platform to communicate product details to consumers including plant origination, strain, flavour and effect profiles as well as geo-location verified, state approved purchasing locations. Kanvas showcased the new packaging technology recently at MJBizCon in Las Vegas, USA...
Product authentication and consumer engagement solutions provider YPB Group has announced the signing of the second early adopter of its high security, smartphone readable, authentication technology MotifMicro. OPP Gravure Printing has signed a 6 month agreement to explore product innovation and the commercialisation of MotifMicro with its customer base in Thailand and SE Asia...
Coca-Cola Singapore and Germany packing company Inuru have joined forces to create an illuminating user experience for all Star Wars fans. The promotional bottles, for the forthcoming Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker film out later this month, feature labels with a built-in printed battery, once the labels are squeezed it completes a circuit which lights up the OLED of one of the two character's lightsaber weapons...
AIPIA is already busy planning for next year, here is our events calendar for the first half of 2020, The Association will also be attending interpack (7-13 May Dusseldorf, Germany) and drupa 2020 (16-26 June) where we are one of the Partners on the exciting Touchpoint Packaging stand...
As more companies try to adopt a green approach towards their packaging, there is a concern that this could impact their adoption of smart packaging and prevent them from enjoying the benefits that this technology can provide...
Schreiner MediPharm, the specialist producer of labels for the pharmaceutical industry, and AIPIA member PragmatIC, which develops low cost flexible electronics, have entered into a strategic partnership. The purpose of the cooperation is to offer manufacturers of pharmaceutical products and medical devices a more extensive portfolio of cost-efficient smart labels...
InfoMark, part of USA based Xante Corporation, has launched a website and app which it claims can replace the widely used QR code. It will give newspapers, magazines, and consumer products the simple digital link promised by the QR code but which it never delivered, it asserts...
Label Says Ltd has created an edible printed ink code that can be added directly onto all types of food such as fish, fruit, vegetables, baked goods, drinks and meat, it claims. The information is accessible when each product is scanned by the app, providing a fully augmented reality (AR) experience, allowing customers to learn more about the product and significantly reducing food packaging...
This year’s AIPIA World Congress 2019 closed its doors following the largest and most successful event for Smart Packaging – ever! More than 350 delegates (including over 30 Brand Owners) listened to 60 plus speakers and were able to see more than 30 companies demonstrating the latest technologies and services on offer. It turned out to be the SMARTEST packaging event of the year...
In late November Avery Dennison Corporation announced a definitive agreement to acquire Smartrac’s Transponder (RFID Inlay) Division, for the purchase price of €225 million, subject to certain closing and post-closing adjustments. The division is a leader in the development and manufacture of RFID products, with 2019 estimated global revenue of approximately €125 million, ($140 million) and approximately 900 employees...
The potential of online sales for beverage makers is enormous, and largely untapped until now. DS Smith Plastics has developed two complementary packs to help Brands to boost sales, get their goods directly to their customers, deliver a promotional buzz and encourage quick and easy repeat purchases, it is claimed...
This year at BrauBeviale, Ball Corporation, known globally for its can manufacturing, unveiled a stunning redesign of its entire special effects range and new temperature-reactive technology. In addition Ball is continuing the drive for sustainability, as this range aims to help brands capture the attention of consumers, without affecting the recyclable credentials of the can...
WISeKey International Holding, a Swiss based cybersecurity and IoT company, is presenting its new NanoSealRT NFC Secure Element. This introduces the concept of Authentic Consumer Engagement, the combination of digital brand protection with simple to use consumer engagement options that help brands defend their reputation and create new avenues for connecting with their customers in a single platform, says the company...
With more than 60 of the leading Smart Packaging innovators and drivers presenting the latest ideas, products and services in the active & intelligent packaging ecosystem, as well as 30+ booths in the demonstration area, the AIPIA World Congress is set to be the best event yet. ..
The future of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors in smart solutions has multiple benefits for brands. As a smart packaging platform in a complete IoT ecosystem, Talkin’ Things will talk about the latest developments in this technology during the AIPIA Congress in Amsterdam...
Smart packaging is undergoing digital transformation, according to E Ink Corporation a leading innovator of digital signage and electronic paper display technology (EPD). During its presentation the company will explain how to enable value creation with Smart and Reusable Packaging by adding sensors and wireless connectivity, to enable item-level tracking and product information communication. This enables Brands to engage consumers to increase trust and satisfaction...
When Mondelez International announced that all its packaging will be fully recyclable by 2025, the confectionery giant gathered innovators and intelligent packaging drivers, at the AIPIA Americas Summit in Jersey City last June, challenging them to come up with solutions to promote environmental awareness and educate its customer on recycling packages...
Ralph Lauren Corporation (RLC) has announced the launch of Digital Product Identities (IDs) for tens of millions of its products, starting with the Polo brand, as it continues to deliver on its strategic priority to Lead with Digital, to deliver an enhanced consumer experience and drive supply chain innovation, it explains. RLC claims it is the first global retail brand to apply this technology at this scale and in unprecedented ways...
This year during the Congress several presentations and demonstrations will focus on the fight food waste or control and monitor how perishable items move through the supply chain and on to the consumer. Wasting food unnecessarily is regarded as having a bigger environmental (and social) impact on the planet than all the packaging waste combined. Here are some of the technologies on parade in Amsterdam...
A commodity, such as packaging, which generally has a very low value per CPG item, has seen its value increasing exponentially thanks to digital technologies and functionalities. Pelliconi, a worldwide manufacturer of metal closures for the beverage sector, will talk about its Innovation projects which integrate digital solutions into its products, to allow packaging to become more individual, personal and communicative...
Leading UK compliance scheme Ecosurety is backing the test of a technology which could create a high-value plastic feedstock from recycling by consumers. Polytag would enable Brands to tag and trace their packaging at the point of manufacture and, with the help of consumers, ‘trace’ it, so it can be isolated from the recycling waste stream and reprocessed in batches of identical-grade and colour plastic. Reports about the trial were reported in several British journals including The Grocer, Materials Reclamation Weekly and Packaging News...
Berry Global Group has announced its participation in the new recycling initiative, HolyGrail 2.0. The outcome of its predecessor, the Pioneer Project HolyGrail, led by Gian De Belder at Proctor & Gamble, was the identification of digital watermarking (specifically, the Digimarc Barcode) as a promising technique to ‘tag’ plastic substrates or print materials (shrink sleeve, IML label, or paper label) with an identity that could include attributes such as plastic type, product manufacturer, product SKU, food or non-food usage, and composition of multi-layer foils...
A new tamper-evident security concept for luer-lock syringes has been developed by labeling specialist Schreiner MediPharm: Cap-Lock features a combination of a cap adapter and label that firmly seals prefilled syringes and reliably indicates any first opening, it says. This ensures the integrity of the primary container and prevents any undetected opening of the cap...
Several well known Research and Technological Development centres (RTDs) within the AIPIA ecosystem are part of a consortium funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 program to enable quicker and wider development of thin, organic and large area electronics - hybrid printed electronics (HPE)...
Avery Dennison rightly have a place in the vanguard of Intelligent Labelling and RFID deployments. During the Congress Jordi Baeta, one of the companies business development managers, will help delegates discover how one solution enables companies to verify a food item’s journey across the entire supply chain, from source to final destination, and pinpoint any trouble spots along the way...
KushCo Holdings, which produces ancillary products and services to the cannabis and hemp industries, has announced it has entered an exclusive distribution agreement with De La Rue, the major provider of anti-counterfeit and authentication solutions...
To mark the launch of its first ever marketing campaign ‘Beer With Altitude’, which launched in August this year, Kosciuszko Pale Ale, produced by Australian brewer Lion, a Kirin company, will be adding thermochromic ink to its canned product...
After spending time with the Smirnoff X1 team in Mexico at the Day of the Dead celebrations, brand design agency Vault49 created a concept that captured the vibrant, rich symbolism at the heart of the festivities, according to a report in the UK’s Packaging News...
There is so much in the news about CBD products and so many new products on the market. Active & Intelligent packaging is certain to play a part in authentication and maintaining condition of these sensitive health supplements. So it is not surprising to see it featured in the Congress agenda...
Use of NFC tags and labels for product packaging is increasingly becoming the preferred method for brands to create a secure direct, one-to-one connection with consumers before and after purchase. Exemplifying the growing adoption of NFC, Kraft Heinz has launched one of the largest marketing campaigns in Walmart stores across the US market...
Pernod Ricard has unveiled a range of "glassless" cocktails that use edible packaging, partly developed by Suntory Group's UK soft drinks unit. The cocktail capsules have been created for the company’s The Glenlivet Scotch whisky brand...
While we are not quite sure you can ‘paint’ or ‘spray’ packages yet, this new development certainly has possibilities to make some CPGs really stand out on the shelf. The system takes its cue from creatures like chameleons who can camouflage themselves by changing colour. Researchers at MIT’s Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have developed a new spray-on ink that can infinitely change colours, designs, and patterns when zapped with different wavelengths of light...
AIPIA member UPM Raflatac has announced a groundbreaking integration between Xeikon’s digital printing presses and fellow member Magic Add’s Internet of Packaging platform for its intelligent label solution, RafMore by UPM Raflatac...
Congress regular Asahi KASEI will be returning this year with the very latest updates on its state of the art RFID technologies. The company will showcase nano-scale (roll to roll) R2R printing technologies and their potential applications, especially invisible antenna for RFID...
Combining the benefits of traditional print methods with the flexibility of digital, DataLase Photonic Printing Solutions enable fully customised printing at the latest point in the supply chain - where it can deliver the highest brand valueand consumer relevance...
Smartrac Technology Group, a longstanding AIPIA member, with a global market for its RFID products and IoT solutions has launched EAGLE Green tags. These are the latest products developed for the company’s Green Tag Program, combining superior sustainability characteristics with compact size, excellent read range and high quality for retail-optimized applications, it says...
Identiv and Les Bouchages Delage are delivering Internet of Things (IoT)-ready solutions for near field communication (NFC)-connected bottles in the wine and spirit industry. The companies originally partnered while collaborating on an intelligent NFC bottle cap for a luxury cognac brand. Now, the two companies are expanding their partnership by equipping a wide variety of Les Bouchages Delage cap designs with NFC technology...
TOPPAN with Amcor and Kezzler with Arca Etichette, all AIPIA Members, make strategic partnerships to improve market reach. See their products at the AIPIA Congress 2019 in Amsterdam...
Recently High Pressure Processing (HPP) has undergone strong growth as it enables packaged foods and beverages to retain natural flavours and be free of preservatives over extended periods. HPP can keep consumers safe from harmful bacteria such as salmonella and listeria. Until now the gap in that process has been the inability to inspect individual packages to identify where the HPP process might have failed...
In a statement released on 12th September Thin Film Electronics ASA announced that its wholly owned USA subsidiary, Thin Film Electronics, Inc. has decided to pull out of the manufacture and supply of NFC tags and its related software platform...
At AIPIA we have always championed Smart Packaging, even if it is not categorized by Active ingredients & coatings or NFC/RFID tags and chips. So we are pleased to report on this clever idea, which first came to prominence in the UK on BBC’s business financing show Dragon’s Den. As the demand for more eco-friendly straws increases, many organizations have created paper-based or reusable metal straws, but one company has gone a step further by creating a pasta-based sustainable drinking Straw -- the Stroodle – a UK based start up...
A Russian RFID technology company, ISBC Group, has developed an RFID Paper, which is intended to enable companies to print customized RFID labels in-house and on demand, as a low cost alternative to label-conversion machines or the long rolls of tags currently available, according to an article in RFID Journal recently...
Carlsberg’s belief is that ‘fresher beer equals better beer’. So its Fresh Cap innovation has been designed to reduce oxidation via an oxygen scavenging compound inside the liner of the cap. This results in less oxygen in the bottle, because the cap actively absorbs the gas, removing it from the head space...
Two major pharmacy retail outlets in the USA, Sam's Club and Walmart, have confirmed their use of a talking medication device which leverages RFID technology. The ScripTalk technology, provided by En-Vision America, is intended to help the visually impaired access their prescription information...
BottleVin, a Silicon Valley-based, startup that developed a smart bottle marketing and analytics platform for wine, spirits and beer producers in 2018, has announced the launch of its latest NFC (near-field communication) enabled bottle for its original client, Napa Valley-based Reynold’s Family Winery...
The high level of counterfeit infant formula in China is a major concern for those supplying this huge market with authentic and carefully regulated products. So one of the world’s top dairy producers, FrieslandCampina, has appointed longstanding AIPIA member Kezzler to provide global serialization and track & trace services for its FRISO range, used extensively in the market...
A clever technology, enabling shoppers to read wine labels written in any language will soon become the standard among savvy shoppers, according to digital marketing specialist Dave Chaffey. His company, Third Aurora, an Australian-based tech startup, recently announced that the technology would be rolled out to its Winerytale platform in 2020...
There is a lot of new Blockchain applications across Supply Chain and Retail. Here are some recent examples: Walmart China’s new Blockchain platform is aimed at the traceability of packaged fresh foods, in particular its own brand Marketside range. Initially i twill be used to track 23 product lines, but this should expand to over 100 by the end of 2019...
It is not often we report on an actual piece of ‘kit’ which takes active & intelligent packaging further, but this new development from SICK is intended to integrate RFID track and trace capability in automated machines and mobile vehicles for product handling and logistics in packaging operations...
A new forensic authentication feature for pharmaceutical labels is now offered by Schreiner MediPharm in cooperation with Applied DNA Sciences. SigNature® DNA is a high-security feature based on DNA markers with which pharmaceutical manufacturers can protect their products against counterfeiting and patients against potential health risks, say the companies. DNA markers are considered to be impossible to counterfeit and are recognized as forensic authentication evidence in courts of law...
Colorcon and AIPIA member TruTag Technologies have announced a development agreement to enable on-dose verification technology for tablets by combining TruTag’s silica-based microtag authentication technology with Colorcon’s expertise in film coating systems, modified release technologies and specialty excipients...
Packaging Europe recently spoke with James Adkin, senior global brand manager, Unilever, to discover the stance of this ‘leading transnational consumer goods company’ on augmented reality, AR. During the exclusive interview he revealed an exciting product launch which will utilise AR on pack...
Californian wine brand Böen, claims to be the first United States wine brand to deploy Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to date. NFC connected bottles will be released across the country, offering consumers the ability to be taken to the home of the Böen range 0f wines with a tap on the cap...
The Old Kempton Distillery (OKD), located in Kempton, Tasmania, is utilizing NFC technology to combat counterfeits, as well as to improve the branding of its high-value whiskey, gin and other liquor products as the company expands its market share across Australia and around the world...
Ecuador’s Association of Marketing & Exportation of Bananas, ACORBANEC has agreed to help increase the use of It’s Fresh! technology in the country’s huge banana growing community. The It’s Fresh! filters absorb ethylene – the ripening hormone – from fresh fruit and vegetables proven to prolong the green life of bananas throughout the supply chain...
University of Sydney research fellow Dr Sina Naficy has been named on Australia's Most Innovative Engineers 2019 list, for his 3D-printed flexible food sensors. The new technology can detect gases generated by bacteria in packaged food and aims to reduce food waste, according to an article in Australian magazine PKN, Packaging News...
AIPIA has been asked to participate in the touchpoint packaging initiative at this hugely important fair. The organisers Messe Dusseldorf are extremely keen to represent Active & Intelligent Packaging printed solutions to the attendees which will number several hundred thousand over the 10 days. This is a MAJOR opportunity for AIPIA members to present relevant technologies (eg Printed Electronics, QR Code advances, Security, Smart Printing, Inks and Hologrphics, etc.) THIS EVENT IS ONLY ONCE EVERY FOUR YEARS: Do not miss this opportunity to participate at drupa with AIPIA support...
Zappar X Packaging Europe - the power of connected packaging. Connected packaging is one of the most exciting and rapidly developing business use-cases for AR. It offers a bounty of value possibilities to brands - capitalizing on the experience economy to drive sales, engage in meaningful conversations with their audience and capture valuable data...
With so many high-tech products being developed in the Active & Intelligent Packaging space it is sometimes easy to forget that some of the most straightforward solutions, such as irreversable temperature indicator labels, are being widely used, at scale, in a variety of roles. While technologically advanced they remain simple to use and are highly cost effective solutions to the problems caused by temperature excursions...
The perennial problem: How do you play your favourite computer game (which needs both hands) AND drink a cool beer at the same time, has just been solved by the nice people at Miller Lite. Last month saw the launch of a (very) limited release Cantroller, a video game controller that also holds 12 ounces of Miller Lite. The brand partnered with technology company Unit 9 to develop the controllers, which are designed using flexible circuit board technology, equipped with USB charging, bluetooth, haptic feedback and, of course, beer. The can itself can be refrigerated...
Since the start of 2019 the Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) requires all prescription medicines in Europe to carry scannable security codes on the packaging, which is recorded on a central database. In a recent announcement the Dutch Health Care Inspectorate IGJ (Inspectie voor Gezondheidszorg en Jeugd) has confirmed that a false batch of Avastin, the cancer drug made by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, has been discovered by a Dutch wholesaler...
Logmore is a start -up company basaed in Finland, which provides alow cost complete datalogging service, using patented, dynamic QR code technology. This means that the data recorded by the datalogger is printed on a e-Ink screen to a QR code. This code can be read by any 2D scanner, such as a mobile phone QR-code app. The result is to lower the total cost of temperature monitoring, humidity and shock detection, it says...
Systech, the supply chain security and brand protection specialist, and Toppan Printing, headquartered in Japan,the global printing company and innovator in product packaging and security solutions (both longstanding members of AIPIA) have signed a five-year global licensing agreement to integrate Systech's digital e-Fingerprint® technology into Toppan's printing solutions offerings...
Packaging that can relay real-time information about the ripeness of avocados and other fruits contained inside was recently launched at Italian fresh produce trade fair Macfrut in Rimini. Called Smart Ripe, the new technology has been developed by Italian company Ilip in collaboration with Radio6ense, a spin-off of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, and the University of Turin’s Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences...
The allure of printed packages and labels that change colours to reflect product temperatures has been expanded. Chromatic Technologies Inc. (CTI) has launched what it says is the packaging industry’s first thermochromic ink for use in solvent ink applications. CTI believes this represents a technological breakthrough, especially for the flexible packaging industry...
Academics at Imperial College, London have developed low-cost, smartphone-linked, eco-friendly spoilage sensors for meat and fish packaging.These sensors are cheap enough that the developers hope supermarkets could be using them within three years,according to Dr Firat Güder, head of the college’s Department of Bioengineering...
Pernod Ricard is partnering with Guala Closures to support The Malibu Games 2019 by rolling out 300,000 bottles with specially developed connected closures for the first time in the USA. The new Malibu limited-edition connected bottles will be circulated in the states of Ohio and Texas, featuring the pioneering smart bottle cap. The connected closures will give consumers access to value-added extras including drinks recipes and sweepstake competitions...
RAIDAtech a research and technology services developer , based in the Research Triangle, North Carolina, USA since 2018, has developed safer, faster, less expensive and more secure solutions for the packaging industry with a suite of new and innovative applications to authenticate products, prevent counterfeiting and engage customers with brands, it claims...
A free download of the new Smart Packaging Magazine is now available. Download it here. Read all about how to disrupt your brand’s packaging with the latest Active & Intelligent technologies Data mining, extended shelf life, consumer engagement, brand authentication, security, less waste and improved logistics & recycling through the implementation of new concepts in packaging
Eef de Ferrante, Managing Director of the Active & Intelligent Packaging Industry Association, shares his viewpoint on the value of AR within the packaging industry. In an augmented way...
Participants at the highly acclaimed AIPIA Summit of the Americas in New Jersey (3/4 June) demonstrated the strong swell of support for disruptive, digital technologies in packaging. In particular Brand Owners showed that Consumer Engagement and product security, through the use of A&IP, is now very high on the agenda, alongside Sustainability and Circularity...
A pioneering project called HolyGrail, led by Procter & Gamble and facilitated by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, ended officially on May 23rd. This follows three years of development to improve post-consumer recycling using chemical tracers and digital watermarks, with the aim of moving closer to a circular economy. Several AIPIA members participated, including Digimarc, Filigrade and Verstraete IML as well as many Brand owners such as Danone, L’Oreal, PepsiCo, Nestlé and P&G. Involving altogether 29 partners, the project was a ‘full value-chain pre-competitive collaboration’ established to discover how the tagging of packaging can impact the accuracy of sorting and recycling systems...
Having been selected as one of the Top 10 Most Innovative Businesses in the AR/VR industry as part of the annual ‘World’s Most Innovative Company’ awards in February, our good friends and members, Zappar have picked up a prestigious Auggie Award at the AWE (Augmented World Expo) for its 7-Eleven Always on Augmented Reality campaign...
Tapì Group, an international group specializing in the design, production, and distribution of high-end technological closures for the premium beverage sector, and AIPIA member Thin Film Electronics, the near field communications (NFC) solutions specialist, have signed a Letter of Intent for an exclusive joint partnership to combine their innovation capabilities to upgrade their offering to the wine and spirits industry...
Dotz is an Australian-listed and Israel-based tech company which has developed proprietary marking, tracing and verification technology. ValiDotz™ security markers are non-toxic, carbon-based markers that can be easily mixed into plastics, coatings, inks, and varnishes to create product-specific codes, says the company...
AIPIA, in conjunction with BXP and Deloitte are offering a special magazine, which will be the industry’s leading guide for the latest trends and solutions focused around Active & Intelligent Packaging. Beautifully designed, this edition will be an excellent resource for packaging and branding professionals to reference year-round.
Anoto a Swedish headquartered digital writing and drawing solutions provider, introduced , in late 2018, Anoto DNA (ADNA), which makes it possible to uniquely and unobtrusively code paper and products in a way that can then be easily read using a wide range of mobile devices...
HP Brazil will shortly introduce the integration of radio frequency identification technology (RFID) and smart packaging for its printers. These identify products by means of labels, boxes and other digitally printed materials with elements that are invisible to human eyes, but activate responses in an installed app on smartphones, helping to expand the customer experience...
Dutch retailer Albert Heijn has the ambition to make all fresh supply chains transparent by 2025. The store continually strives to improve the well being of their egg laying chickens, as part of its animal welfare campaign, so needs to deliver at least a 1-star BLK certification for all eggs sold at its stores..
A new barcode technology can help to greatly reduce food waste, claims OAL Connected, which is offering a solution to read these embedded barcodes inline. Tesco has recently unveiled the barcodes on meatproducts in its Jack’s stores, with an anticipated roll-out to further products and sites, in a bid to reduce waste...
The latest Mintel Global Packaging Trends Report 2019 identifies Connected Packaging as one of four key themes which are driving the future development of packaging. Notably, the research shows QR codes making a strong comeback, particularly in Asia Pacific (APAC)...
Leading AIPIA member, Stora Enso has introduced a turnkey solution for automated and unmanned retail. The solution, called New Retail, merges in-store and online shopping by using sustainable RFID tags for wireless authentication and payment...
BERICAP, one of the largest suppliers of plastic caps and closures for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and industrial markets, and AIPIA member Thinfilm Electronics, a major global developer of near field communications (NFC) solutions, have signed a Letter of Intent for an exclusive joint partnership to develop fully integrated digital authentication solutions for closures in over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and industrial applications...
Nestlė’s China operation is set to expand the amount of information traceable via Blockchain with a target to increase this inventory between 15 – 18% in the coming year, according to a report in Food Navigator Asia...
Its not often we talk about ways to STOP RFID signals, but, for some retailers, an obstacle in maximizing the effectiveness of their RFID-enabled inventory systems is the ability to isolate waves within specific sales environments. If the waves cannot be blocked, and kept segregated, the technology’s precision and effectiveness will be limited...
“Lightning-GARD pallets are the only pallet in the market with an active RFID that continuously beams information to a Cloud-based dashboard to report a variety of customer-specified critical factors,” according to Jeffery Owen founder and CEO of Lightning Technologies. “Users determine the threshold for temperature, humidity, time in transit, impacts, shelf life and location; the dashboard displays the readings in real-time, highlighting any pallet that deviates from the settings...
Nanotech Security Corporation, based in Vancouver, Canada, which researches, creates and produces nano-optic structures and colour-shifting materials used in brand protection and brand enhancement, has released its first products specifically targeting the commercial brand market...
Built to reflect how people drink water today it says , a new hydration platform from PepsiCo, is a connected ecosystem that responds to the rise in consumption of low-and-no-sugar drinks as well as heightened focus on plastic's effect on the environment. Consumers can access the system on their smartphones via a QR code sticker on their re-usable container...
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...
With the program of over twenty expert speakers, discussing everything from the latest disruptive digital technologies to a dynamic way to tell if milk is sour (!) ensures that the delegates for the second AIPIA USA Summit (New Jersey 3-4 June) will find something to add value to their Brand and business!...
Swiss outdoor clothing and equipment brand Mammut has begun to deploy Near Field Communication (NFC) RFID technology to boost customer interactions and increase supply chain transparency. According to Tim Hegglin, Mammut Sports Group's head of corporate communication, the solution needed to help create an ecosystem that would feature inventory visibility, according to the report in RFID journal, as well as communicate with consumers...
The Michael David Winery, based in Lodi California has announced the launch of its interactive face filter app, using Augmented Rality (AR). Freakshow Maskerade allows users to become their favorite characters from the highly successful Freakshow wine brand and enter to win their way onto the wine label...
Longstanding AIPIA member Avery Dennison has released two new RFID tags that are intended to be applied to small, metallic and liquid-containing products, ranging from canned sodas to shiny perfume packaging. The company's On-Metal tag can operate with similar sensitivity to that of standard UHF RFID tags, according to Francisco Melo, Avery Dennison's VP and general manager of global RFID. They enable 100% tagging of all products at a retail location, he says...
Nestlé has teamed up with French supermarket chain Carrefour and IBM to use the latter’s blockchain technology to track a famous French convenience food, the companies announced recently. Nestlé and Carrefour, both members of IBM’s Food Trust blockchain platform, will use the technology to track the supply chain of Mousline, a well-known brand of instant mashed potatoes...
UK up-market retailer Waitrose , part of the John Lewis Partnership, has joined forces with a Scottish biotec company, CuanTec to develop a new film for food packaging made out of waste langoustine shells...
Providing better fresh produce, bakery products and proteins, by producing packaging for extending their shelf-life and quality, is the core objective of the EU-funded NanoPack Project. The active packaging materials are now being tested with a wide range of products and are showing some remarkable results...
Tetra Pak has launched a connected packaging platform, which will transform milk and juice cartons into interactive information channels, full-scale data carriers and digital tools, it says. Driven by the trends behind Industry 4.0, and with code generation, digital printing and data management at its core, the connected packaging platform will bring new benefits to food producers, retailers and shoppers, according to the company...
AIPIA member PragmatIC, one of the leading developers of in ultra-low cost flexible electronics, has launched the first products in its ConnectIC® family. The PR1101 and PR1102 flexible integrated circuits (FlexICs) are designed for use in closed HF RFID systems. The company believes this new range will be pivotal in the acceleration of the smart packaging market...
Olivery is a ‘smart’ olive oil bottle and refill system. The bottle itself is made from a special kind of glass that helps the olive oil stay fresh for longer. Violettglass is a special type of light reflecting glass which blocks all colours except two to slow down the oxidizing process. In addition the bottle contains an LED in the base which lights up when the contents are low to alert the user its time to re-order...
Document Security Systems (DSS), which develops anti-counterfeit, authentication, and diversion protection technologies, has announced it has entered into an agreement with Zappar, one of the leading exponents of Augmented Reality (AR) and interactive delivery experiences...
Schreiner MediPharm has combined its expertise in innovative specialty labels and integrated solutions with folding box manufacturer Edelmann to create a smart medicine packaging solution with diverse digital features, it says. It includes the BitSecure copy detection technology for product authentication as well as a closure seal with an integrated NFC chip and an additional void effect for tamper evidence. It is compliant with the EU Falsified Medicines Directive, effective February 2019...
AIPIA has been asked to take part in an initiative, by drupa 2020 organisers Messe Dusseldorf, to highlight new printing technologies for the packaging sector. The Touchpoint packaging initiative’s main goal is to display how innovative printing technologies, such as printed electronics, or digital security codes, will contribute to the future of packaging...
Pensa Systems, which develops autonomous perception systems, has launched a new retail inventory visibility system which has been tested recently by AB InBev in a Canadian retail outlet. The system is designed to inform retailers and brands of what is actually on shelves – across all stores, everywhere, at any point in time...
Drug manufacturer Nephron Pharmaceuticals, based in South Carolina, is building UHF RFID tags into the labels that are applied to its prefilled syringe products. The system makes each item individually visible where RFID readers are employed at its own facility, as well as at its health-care customers' facilities, says a report in RFID Journal...
US-based WP Produce, the largest importer and distributor of tropical avocados worldwide, has announced significant improvements to lengthen the shelf life of their Desbry avocados. Tropical avocados—also known as green skin avocados—are seeing a rise in demand due to the overall popularity of avocados globally...
The NFC Forum has released a new ‘candidate’ specification that makes it easy for mobile payments services based on QR codes to add NFC functionality, giving “payment service providers and consumers the opportunity to take advantage of the simple and secure NFC-based payment solutions already in use worldwide...
Schreiner ProTech has enhanced its ShiftSecure solution to include additional options and increased compatibility with conventional printing procedures, it claims. Aimed at increasing the solution’s appeal and maximizing its cost effectiveness, the new versions of ShiftSecure come in a range of colours and expanded manufacturing options which extend beyond the original product’s anti-counterfeiting benefits...
Last year Deloitte, one of the most globally recognised consultancy companies to the world’s leading Brands, published an in depth survey on the future of Smart Packaging and how to best utilize these new technologies. We publish some extracts here, but for the full story come and listen to Deloitte at the AIPIA USA Summit in New Jersey, 3rd and 4th June 2019...
Companies need to ensure that their products arrive at the right place, on time, and preferably in a sustainable manner and at the lowest possible cost. Packaging plays a key role in this, so finding the best packaging solution for a product is of crucial importance for reliable and cost-efficient logistics and distribution as well as good presentation to customers...
AIPIA will run its first ever seminar in Vietnam, during the ProPak Vietnam 2019 exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) later this month. The half day seminar (on 20th March) will feature five speakers from the AIPIA membership looking at, in particular, supply chain issues and condition montitoring technologies – particularly relevant to the burgeoning market in that country for seafood exports...
MetaShield a USA based innovator in the field of advanced materials, has launched MetaShieldCLEAN™, a fully transparent, nanotechnology-based coating that repels a significant amount of the stains, dust and dirt which can accumulate on consumer packaging during everyday use...
Kevin Barber has joined Thinfilm as CEO in late 2018. He is responsible for driving worldwide strategic growth, scaling product innovation and manufacturing operations while increasing market penetration and identifying new business opportunities...
French menswear retailer Celio has deployed RFID technology across all 750 of its stores, in one of the largest deployments of the technology in Europe, according to a recent report in RFID Journal. The system's rollout was completed following a 12-month set-up period, bringing visibility to inventory at each location. RFID was taken live at the point of sale (POS), along with electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology, at 55 store locations by the end of 2018...
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark claim to have created an ‘unclonable’ tag that can never be replicated, even by the manufacturer. They report their results in ACS (American Chemical Society) journal Applied Materials & Interfaces. Each year, counterfeit goods cost billions of dollars in economic losses. While manufacturers have tried to incorporate unique tags or bar codes on their products to help verify a product's authenticity, the counterfeiters often quickly work out how to copy these...
A USA start-up, based in Seattle, aims to combat food waste through a new sticker which it claims can keep fruit fresh for up to 14 days longer. Stixfresh is a label which can be applied directly to fruits which generate ethylene during the ripening process. The sticker’s coating is made up of a formula of beeswax and ionised sodium chloride, and has GRAS (generally recognised as safe) status in accordance with the US Food and Drug Administration...
At the end of last month Domino launched a new thermal inkjet (TIJ) ink that has already found track-and-trace applications in the tobacco industry. The coding, marking and printing specialist says the clear, ultraviolet-activated ink is helping to boost security in track and trace processes, with the added bonus that its vibrant blue hue has a limited life cycle and disappears completely...
Several announcements have been made by AIPIA members and major brands/retailers about Blockchain applications and business developments. Here is a short roundup...
A new e-commerce solution has been piloted on UPM Raflatac’s shipments in routes all over Europe. The smart labels use Internet of Packaging (IoP) technology to log and share information about the packs during the delivery process. The company said the pilot demonstrated that the solution provides full interoperability between supply chain stakeholders without requiring heavy IT integration...
A new NFC tag inlay, jointly developed by NXP and Identiv, is now available to order at an “unrivalled” price of US$0.05 per unit, “enabling a new generation of smart products across a wide range of end markets where NFC may have been previously considered price prohibitive.” The five cent per unit pricing is available when ordering a minimum of 20,000 units of Identiv’s 25mm diameter dry inlay design...
AIPIA member Water.io has worked with Danone to develop a ‘smart cap’ which will be incorporated into the Brand’s Spanish mineral water Font Vella, allowing consumers to track their levels of hydration. Named Coach2O, the widget will monitors consumers’ water intake and “coach them towards adequate hydration”, according to Danone...
A new product from international cap manufacturer Ramondin and tesa scribos, specialists in product digitalisation, produces wine and spirit bottles that are digitally connected. The new bottle caps become a secure starting point for customer interaction, counterfeit protection and collection of market data. The new Connected Bottle was unveiled at Vinitech in Bordeaux in late 2018...
Researchers at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have used 3D printing to develop something that not only looks cool, but can also be used to deter counterfeiting. The device, which the scientists call “holographic colour prints,” creates images that appear as a regular colour print under white light. But under red, green or blue laser illumination, the device projects up to three different holograms...
AIPIA member Digimarc has introduced a new serialized packaging solution combining Digimarc Barcode and the HP Link platform, which can provide every printed object with a unique identity and offers a cost-effective option for tackling supply chain problems, claim the companies...
CrazyCap is a replacement cap for refillable style water bottles. The cap was developed by a Miami-based startup Microlyscs to sanitize the water from municipal sources or lakes/rivers in a streamlined manner with minimal effort...
On labels applied to a limited edition of 700 glass bottles, the iconic Coca-Cola logo lit up when touched. The 330-mL bottles were sent to Coca-Cola employees and “influencers” as part of Coke’s #BeSanta campaign, says a report in Packaging World (USA). The technology behind the campaign comes from Berlin-based Inuru, a specialist in Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED)...
A breakthrough blockchain-powered technology from an Australian company could revolutionise track and trace in supply chains, it claims. Provenance and, the ability to prove it, is becoming essential, not only as a selling tool but also as a means of brand IP protection against counterfeiting. John Baird, CEO of Ultimo Digital Technologies is driving the development and distribution of its new Ubique Chain of Things (UCOT) ecosystem, according to an article which appeared in PKN...
Smartrac announced its Green Tag Program to the public recently. In addition to its existing commitment to minimize any possible ecological impact of its manufacturing processes, the RFID and IoT developer has taken on an obligation to manufacture RFID products that live up to a true sustainability promise even under strict Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) scrutiny...
Wiliot, the Israel based semiconductor innovator, has raised a $30 million series B funding for a total of $50 million. This follows its demonstration of the first-ever sticker-sized Bluetooth sensor tag, incorporating an ARM processor, powered solely by scavenging energy from ambient radio frequencies. at the National Retail Federation 2019 Retail’s Big Show in New York City recently...
Food waste occurs at all stages of the supply chain, from farm to distributors, retailers and consumers. Food that would otherwise end up in a landfill, contributing to greenhouse gases, can be turned into a resource, however, by redistributing it to various channels, such as food banks, in order to help people in need. Digital twining via the Internet of Things (IoT) could help to solve this problem, according to an article by Neil Sequeira, director of product management and marketing at QLIKTAG Software, which appeared in RFID Journal...
Thimm, the German-based packaging and POS specialists, has developed a display that uses an invisible code to open up new channels for communicating with customers for the launch of a new mueslis brand. These digital watermarks in printed images are positioning Fresh Nuts with its Meray brand as one of Europe's leaders in ethnic market sales, says the company...
The Growcery is an ecosystem where Brands and startups/scale-ups team up to maximize the success of consumer-centric products and business models. It gives access to a pilot infrastructure enabling rapid prototyping and pilot production for consumer-oriented innovative projects. It actively involves a diverse range of niche players and experts to deliver tangible improvements for the Growcery community through joint learning, technology standards & best practices and shared services...
One of the UK’s top six supermarket chains, Morrisons, is set to trial a new film packaging technology developed by long standing AIPIA member It’s Fresh! The new film is claimed to prolong the life of fresh produce. Dubbed a ‘purposeful packaging’ technology by the company, 'Infinite', a sustainable active deliver system, has been designed to reduce food waste in supermarkets, in the supply chain and at home, it says.
Speaking at the recent AIPIA Congress in Amsterdam Filigrade’s CEO Johan Kerver confirmed that final tests on watermarking of plastic bottles to aid recycling will be carried out in the first quarter of 2019 and they are partnering with a French company, as yet unnamed, to build the first processing plant.
The strength, efficacy and potency of a drug can be profoundly degraded by changes in temperature. So drugs should be stored and transported only within temperature conditions under the terms of their Marketing Authorisations (MA),” says Stéphane Mure founder of Thermolabo. His company has worked with AIPIA member BluLog for a simple solution and created the Sensolabo®.
According to a recent article in Food Navigator Augmented Reality (AR) content is growing fast thanks to the launch of Apple’s ARKit, Google’s ARCore, Snap’s Lens Studio and ZapWorks. Following the AIPIA Congress in Amsterdam FN interviewed Zappar, which has worked with Mindshare UK and Neuro-Insight, to produce a ‘Layered’ report which explores user behaviour and predict key AR trends for the coming year.
Stora Enso has joined forces with Microsoft to bring cloud-based intelligent packaging solutions to clients globally. Intelligent Packaging by Stora Enso utilizes Microsoft Azure, the leading cloud platform for business digitalization, it says. The global and scalable cloud platform enables reliable and secure data collection and analytics for clients investing in innovative intelligent packaging solutions, according to the company.
If you needed to sober up after all the seasonal merriment a new White Paper from Euromonitor, which provides strategic market research, says illicit alcohol accounts for 25.8% of consumption in 24 countries studied in three regions: Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe (including Russia).
As announced at the AIPIA Congress in Amsterdam, Rémy Cointreau is to integrate an NFC chip technology, supplied by some of the Association’s leading members, NXP Semiconductors and Selinko, into the cork stopper of all the decanters produced for its Louis XIII luxury cognac brand. This enables buyers to register their purchase and become a member of the Louis XIII Society, a private club where members can enjoy exclusive content, unique experiences and personalized services through their smartphones.
We may all be shivering in the cold in the northern hemisphere, but it is always summer somewhere on the planet. Australian based Taylors Wines is featuring touch-activated sensors and temperature guides on its packaging as part of the 2018/19 summer ‘Taylor the Temperature’ campaign, which encourages consumers to chill their red wine before serving, according to a report in PKN.
PragmatIC recently announced a strategic collaboration with Smooth & Sharp Corporation (S&S), a supplier of RFID inlays and manufacturing tools, which will accelerate the adoption of PragmatIC’s flexible integrated circuits (FlexICs).
Toppan Printing has developed the Cachet-Tag™—an NFC1 tag designed to ensure that removal breaks the antenna circuit and makes reading impossible. It has been selected for use on all Grand Cru wines produced by Domaine Ponsot, a top quality wine producer based in Burgundy, France. Shipments of products using Cachet-Tag commenced in October 2018.
BXP, in conjunction with AIPIA, are offering a special edition issue, which will be the industry’s leading guide for the latest trends and solutions focused around Active & Intelligent Packaging. Beautifully designed, this edition will be an excellent resource for packaging and branding professionals to reference year-round.
