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...
SoFresh™, based in Wisconsin, USA, has developed a new technology solution that wraps food in an atmosphere of food grade vapour inhibiting mould growth which can extend food distribution time, shelf life and consumption time, it says.
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 ...
Kezzler was selected by the RunHui Agricultural Comprehensive Development Company (RunHui) to provide a traceability and authentication solution to The National Modern Agricultural Industrial Park in Weifang, Shandon Provence, China. It’s serialization technology is initially being utilized for the production of the Weixian radish, which is specific to the region. With full traceability across the entire supply chain, RunHui is able to ensure food safety and quality for their consumers...
Jones Packaging has celebrated its 100th anniversary by changing its name to Jones Healthcare Group. Its focus remains on providing connected healthcare packaging solutions, with printed electronics now being used by more brand owners. In the case of COVID-19, Jones is working closely with numerous test kit producers to bring much-needed test kits to market...
Sincpress, which focuses on the challenge of applying the most advanced technologies for complete and connective packaging, has been designed to be the first Centre of Excellence in Smart Packaging (CoE-SmPa) in Latin America. The objective is to guide customers, partners and suppliers in the use and development of these technical and strategic solutions. ..
In India some 40% of foodstuffs are wasted before reaching the market; all packaging is done at the processing stage and most of it traps moisture, which causes the food to rapidly deteriorate. Food spoilage represents an environmental problem as well as an ethical issue, which is why being able to increase the shelf-life of food is a key step, according to a joint Indian/UK consortium which has developed a new film, BioFreshPak...
3DAG, a Swiss based member of AIPIA , specialising in security features using micro and nanotechnology, has announced the launch of SmartPack™ holographic, tamper-proof security labels, based on its holography expertise, combined with another AIPIA member Scantrust’s serialized QR codes.
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).
AIPIA member AptarGroup, one of the world’s leading makers of drug delivery, consumer product dispensing and active packaging solutions, is seeking US FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for a solution that allows easy disinfecting of N95 filtering face piece respirators (N95 mask). ..
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...
Dutch athletic footwear and sports clothing retailer Sports Unlimited Retail (SUR) has selected !D Cloud software developed by Nedap for the RFID roll-out to its 100 stores in Benelux. !D Cloud is a Software-as-a-Service solution specifically developed for retail RFID applications, giving retailers a fast route to implement RFID and improve their in-store stock accuracy to over 98%, according to the company...
Complete Inspection Systems, an AIPIA member based in Florida is able to adapt its HD Barcode technology to enable those testing negative for COVID-!9 to carry a verification barcode, attached to their ID card, drivers licence, or even a credit card. This code can only be read by authorised devices, but requires no internet or App connectivity, says CIS’s Gary L. Parish...
According to a report in Australia’s packaging journal, PKN, Jet Technologies, based in New South Wales Australia, has launched a new anti-microbial protective film that can be used for various print and packaging applications, including indirect contact food packaging. The film is effective for 10 years, regardless of how many people come into contact with the product, it says...
A team of researchers at McMaster University has developed a self-cleaning surface that can repel all forms of bacteria, preventing the transfer of antibiotic-resistant superbugs and other dangerous bacteria in settings ranging from hospitals to kitchens, according to a report in the universities publication Brighter World...
Its not often we are able to carry a Smart Packaging story which does not use any innovative technology. But for Victoria Watts, founder of US skin care startup Victorialand Beauty, her son’s visual impairment has led to a clever packaging innovation, using raised symbols on the pack...
A new study by Euromed, a global herbal extract and pharmaceutical ingredients producer, headquartered in Spain, has shown that olive leaf extract inhibits the growth of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria and could even help to control food borne pathogens. Previously these extracts have been used as herbal dietary supplements...
New technology developed by Aptar Food + Beverage, a subsidiary of AIPIA member AptarGroup, has been created to aid the protection of food against several infectious pathogens. The InvisiShield technology will protect food such as fruit, vegetables and fish from transmissible pathogens like bacteria, fungi and viruses, it is claimed...
The Japanese branch of professional services provider Ernst & Young (EY) plans to launch a blockchain traceability solution for the alcoholic beverage sake, according to a report in Nikkei Asian Review. The SAKE Blockchain will enable buyers to view provenance details of the drink and allow brewers to identify their product from counterfeits...
As we all are painfully aware Business Life all over the world has been thrown into chaos by the measures taken to control the Covid-19 virus. At AIPIA we will continue to support our members and the smart packaging community in any way we can.
A new technology developed by BlakBear in partnership with TPG Rewards lets consumers know how much shelf life is left in every packaged food, even before they purchase it, according to a report in Packaging Digest. This is another technology developed to replace ‘use by’ codes which currently contribute to the massive amount of food wasted each year...
Identiv, has released a new range of Eco-friendly RFID and NFC Tags in its transponder portfolio. The clean, green RFID and NFC inlays focus on a safer IoT market by serving the requirements of other environmentally conscious companies aiming to protect the planet, says the company...
El Ordeño, one of Ecudaor’s leading dairy product producers, announced a new solution to support the dairy industry in that country. The company has joined IBM Food Trust, the global ecosystem for the food industry, to provide responsibility and transparency to its customers...
Irish whiskey brand Jameson unveiled customisable and connected bottles to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, a mid-March highlight of the calendar on and off the Emerald Isle...
Researchers in Malaysia have developed a biopolymer film incorporating turmeric oil that stops the growth of a common food fungus and degrades well in soil, they say. They are exploring if the film could provide an environmentally friendly way to extend food shelf life, according to a report in Industry Intel...
Danone recently announced the launch of its baby formula Track & Connect service – a digitally-enabled service giving consumers and retailers greater transparency on the product’s journey through the supply chain. In addition, consumers and retailers will eventually be able to access new data-driven, personalized after-sales support and services for its baby formula brands...
Confidex, a leading designer and supplier of short-range wireless identification solutions, has announced the release of its Confidex Go Family of RFID labels for high-volume logistics and other applications. The tags are targeted at industries that need a high volume of labels at an affordable cost, but without sacrificing performance, says the company. They are due to be rolled out at MODEX in Atlanta and LogiMAT in Germany during March...
Tapwow, a provider of customer connection solutions, based in Connecticut, USA has announced general availability of DIRX2, a new open platform that connects brands to consumers through a variety of product activators, to provide engaging customer experiences and offering valuable information about the supply chain, it says...
A California hemp-based cannabidiol (CBD) startup, PearlCBD, owned and operated by Origin Lab, is selling products with ‘intelligent labels’ that uses Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to deliver information to its customers...
It is always nice to revisit a previous product story and report on a successful transition to a fully commercialized product. Smart Cups was created to be sustainably optimized, the world’s first printed—and waterless in shipment—beverages. The company is about to launch into energy drinks as well as an improved range of fruit flavours with better printing technology, according to an article in Packaging Digest...
PRISM, a UK based consortium which includes Johnson Matthey, Brunel University, Mirage Inks and CCL Labels, is poised to separate plastic to food-grade quality in a single step, transforming the sorting process in recycling facilities, it says. The technology can rapidly and efficiently distinguish between food-grade and nonfood-grade polymers, identify black plastics and tag full-length shrink-sleeves...
Aptar CSP Technologies, a longstanding AIPIA member, has announced the launch of a ‘first-of-its-kind’ active packaging product. The new technology utilizes the company’s patented 3-phase Activ-Polymer platform within its Activ-Film product configuration, it says...
Systech, an AIPIA member providing digital brand protection, has announced that OZNaturals, a major producer of natural skincare products, has selected the Systech Brand Protection Suite™ to secure its products from counterfeiting and diversion. The platform is a powerful and fully integrated solution that delivers end-to-end visibility and actionable, data-driven product insight across the supply chain using a simple package barcode, according to the company...
CuanTec is a Scottish biotech company tackling plastic pollution and food waste with a circular solution – an antimicrobial, home compostable replacement for plastic food packaging. The films are based on the use of chitin, the second most abundant natural biopolymer in the world, a sustainable material that obtained from many streams of seafood food waste...
While things may be on hold in and around China, in the first half of 2020 AIPIA has the busiest ever program of outreach to help spread messages and facts about Smart Packaging developments and new applications of these technologies.
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...
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...
NestlÄ—’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...
