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Once again the AIPIA Congress will host an exciting interactive session, asking members to come up with their very best ideas for new packaging formats for PepsiCo brands incorporating Active & Intelligent Packaging....

Record Number of Exhibitors at AIPIA Congress 2017

The Demonstration area, Seeing is Believing, has always been one of the most popular features of the AIPIA Congress. This year the number of companies there has already exceeded last year with a good number of new faces as well as many returning with their latest developments and ideas.

Packaging Strategies for Food Shelf-life Extension

There are few areas of A&IP which are attracting more attention than the technologies to offer longer shelf life and, so reduce food waste. This is not just a business issue, but one of international importance to Governments and the United Nations as well as the global population who, depending where they are, want better food, safer food… or just food.

What We Need from Printed Electronics

Printed Electronics is one of the core products of the Active & Intelligent Packaging revolution. It has the potential to be the breakthrough technology for reducing costs and expanding functionality of intelligent packaging solutions, as well as providing both simple and highly sophisticated tracking and inspection systems (such as time, temperature indicators incorporating alerts and GPS).

Oxygen Barrier System for Bag-in-Box Wines

Rapak, part of DS Smith, Plastics Division, has developed an oxygen scavenger active packaging system that significantly decreases the oxygen levels on wine bags, increases product shelf-life and provides a premium customer experience, it claims.

New Heat-Activated, Tamper-Evident Ink Improves Detection

Chromatic Technologies Inc (CTI) announced the introduction of Tamper Alert, a new irreversible, heat-activated ink technology to identify tamper evidence in labels and packaging for chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, electronics and other products targeted for theft and counterfeiting.

Disrupting the Way We Look at Packaging

A world of connected packaging sounds impressive but how can a FMCG/CPG brand benefit? The technology is impressive but how can brands use this to translate to tangible value in their terms. This, of course, is one of the big questions that many Brand Owners are asking about A&IP. Some, for sure, have found compelling answers. But if proof is needed….

Smart Packaging to Accelerate Value Creation

Consumer packaging has become increasingly important as a value-adding element, since packages shape the consumer's experience of the product during use, as well as accelerating the purchase decision. The strategic benefits of viewing packaging as a central value carrier are clear. To consumers, the product and its packaging are often regarded as closely integrated and consumers' initial impression of the quality and value of a product is sometimes determined by their judgment of the package. Adding digitized content to the package is seen as a major ‘next step’ in this value creation process.

New Traceability Kit for Perishable Goods Import/Export

DeltaTrak® has announced the release of its new ColdTrak Import/Export Traceability Kit at the recent Asia Fruit Logistica event in Hong Kong. This kit includes the new FlashLink Real-Time In-Transit (RTL) logger, the FlashLink PDF In-Transit Logger, and ThermoTrace TTI labels. With this solution, customers have real-time access to temperature history reports, import/export documents and inspection certificates upload into ColdTrak, says the company.

Confidence in Food Supply Chain Drops

UK consumer confidence in the global food supply chain is dwindling following a number of high profile food fraud scandals, a new survey has found, according to a Securing Industry article. The National Farmers Union (NFU) Mutual Food Fraud Report 2017, which surveyed 2027 people, found that one third of consumers were less trusting of products and retailers than they were five years ago, compared with only 9% whose trust has increased.

The Digital Future of Retail and Consumer Goods Companies

The first Keynote at this year’s AIPIA Congress takes us to the heart of one of the key drivers of active and intelligent packaging implementation. The retail and consumer goods industries will change more in the next 10 years than they have over the past 40. One primary force is responsible—digitalization—and it has already begun.

Like AIPIA on Facebook and win a FREE congress ticket

11-09-2017

AIPIA is now on Facebook as well! Go to our Facebook page and like us. Because you know... it is always nice to be liked. We like you as well, because together we are transforming the packaging industry. From a wrap around a product to a highly advanced marketing tool. Come and like us!

Report Say RFID is Revolutionizing Pharma Industry

According to a recent report from TMR Research the market for RFID in the pharmaceuticals industry is currently at the developing stage, with enormous growth possibilities, says RFID Journal. The study, titled "RFID in Pharmaceuticals Market—Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 – 2025," sees the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has played a pivotal role in accelerating the adoption of RFID in the drug-delivery market, since the technology helps to strengthen anti-counterfeiting and track-and-trace efforts.

New NFC Chip Expands Use Possibilities

NFC Semicon™ has announced a 3rd generation NFC SystemOn-Chip Platform that comes with more interfaces and use possibilities than existing NFC transponder chips, it claims. It is a ‘single chip solution’ with integrated controller and real time clock that can connect to any type of sensor or other circuit and is fully functioning without battery or can be battery-assisted, for automatic data logging and time stamping, says the company.

The digital future of finishing: beyond digital printing.

Digital print for packaging is worth $13.2 billion in 2017, and will climb to $23.2 billion in 2022, according to research from Smithers Pira. As such it represents a key growth area for the print industry, plus new market opportunities for packaging converters and their brand customers.

Printed and Hybrid Manufacturing for Intelligent Packaging Applications

TagItSmart! TIS is an EU funded project which sets out to redefine the way we think of everyday mass-market objects not normally considered as part of an IoT ecosystem. These new smarter objects will dynamically change their status in response to a variety of factors and be seamlessly tracked during their lifecycle. This will change the way users-to-things interactions are viewed.

Interactive Coffee Cup Hots Up the Coffee Moment

Huhtamaki has launched an interactive cup featuring a heat sensitive label and a QR code that links to digital content. The Adtone cup has a thermosensitive label that reveals the unique code as the cup is filled with a hot beverage. The heat from the beverage activates the thermochromic printing on the label revealing the QR code.

Real Finger Lickin’ Freshness Just Got Smarter

FRESHCODE is a smart labelling system, which has been developed by packaging research institute, ITENE, based in Spain and Kao Chimigraf, also from Spain, as part of a European Commission funded SME programme. It is an advanced solution for fresh food trays, specifically for boneless chicken breast fillets in modified atmosphere packaging.

Is Blockchain Based Authentication the Future of Serialization?

What is Blockchain? In essence, it is a tool for maintaining transparent and distributed ledgers that can verify transactions (including financial ones) with minimal third party involvement. These ledgers are not held in a central location but rather spread across a network of computers. And it is transparent in the sense that every transaction is made public for all to see.

Paper Based Sensor Tracks Food Spoilage and Contamination

Scientists at Clarkson University based near New York have developed a low cost, portable, paper-based smart label that can detect spoilage and contamination of food and cosmetics, and provide easy to-read results, it claims.

Bio-Based Packaging Film with Oxygen Scavenging

The Fraunhofer Institute, an AIPIA member, working with the Technical University in Munich and others has engineered a multilayer bio-based packaging film which uses a mixture of gallic acid (GA) and sodium carbonate as an oxygen scavenger .

Bringing Products to Life Thru Packaging!

This Spring Shazam, already famous for its eponymous music recognition app, launched a new augmented reality (AR) platform. Founded in 2000, Shazam’s mobile app lets you identify songs playing in the background by tapping a button. But it has long since branched out into other verticals, such as packaging. The company recently announced its billionth app download overall.

Tracking Pharmaceuticals in Asia to’ Fight Flood of Fakes’

A pilot project intended to show how 2D datamatrix codes can help track medicines through the supply chain has been carried out in Malaysia, reports Securing Industry. The pilot is important "due to the many counterfeit pharmaceutical products currently flooding this market and the high instances of theft while products are in transit," said GS1 Malaysia, which was involved in the project.

Where next for Augmented Reality: CONGRESS TOPIC

A recent article in Food Navigator cast a quizzical eye at Augmented Reality (AR) and how it might gain more traction in the packaging sector. “In 2011 it looked like AR would become as ubiquitous as the barcode in food packaging as marketers sought new ways to entice customers with more immersive experiences,” says the author Elaine Watson.

Boom Box from Burger Barons

In celebration of the McFlurry’s 22nd anniversary — which was originally created in Canada — McDonald's Canada, the University of Waterloo's Audio Research Group along with the Toronto-based industrial design group Stacklab has created a limited time product, the McBoombox, which doubles as your drinks tray and an amplifier/speaker for your smartphone.

Focus on Top Trends for RFID in Global Retail: CONGRESS TOPIC

With bricks-and-mortar stores decline, NXP Semiconductors reports that omnichannel services continue to grow. Smart supply chain management with advanced tracking and monitoring capabilities, enabled by RAIN RFID, support both short- and extended-range communication, says NXP and are empowering retailers to address a multitude of new use cases.

Message in a Bottle? No, on the Can!

Ardagh Group has come up with a nice twist for a thermochromic ink application with a new solution for the beverage market. Printing on aluminium cans uses two different thermochromic inks, which both develop the same colour when cooled down. However, once the can warms up again, one colour disappears quicker than the other to reveal a hidden message for the consumer. The revealed message supports highly targeted marketing activities.

PART 2: HOW TO MANAGE CONNECTED PACKAGING AND PRINT

11-08-2017

With the spreading of smartphones, QR codes became very popular in marketing and advertising about six years ago. But then it all seemed to come to a grinding halt, at least in the Western world. Why? One of the main reasons is that the experience people got when scanning a QR code was disappointing. The pay-offs were illegible (for example, a desktop site on a mobile screen), not relevant (for example, link to the company’s home page instead of detailed product information), out-of-date, hard-to-download (outdoor internet connection was poor in those days), etc. And marketers quickly decided that QR codes were ugly...

Water-Soluble Film for Single-Dose Packs Can Reach New Markets

Mondi’s technical films business has created and introduced a water soluble film for the smart and convenient packing and dosing of powders, tabs and granulates. Dissolving completely in water, the film is ideal for single doses of dry materials, such as dishwasher and laundry tabs or bath salts.

Combination label with QR code, RFID and NFC : CONGRESS TOPIC

SECURIKETT® Ulrich & Horn GmbH now offers a security label featuring a dual RFID/NFC chip in addition to a QR code. Its use in the CODIKETT® web application for product tracking and authentication was demonstrated for the first time at interpack..

CONGRESS TOPIC: Absolut-ly Fabulous Internet of Things

One of this year’s Key Note addresses is a user case. Markus Wulff, who is Digital Business Innovation Manager at the Absolut Company will offer insights in the Pernod-Ricard (Absolut’s parent company) ‘Connected Packaging’ pilot. With a changing role for brands Markus' focus is on the Internet of Things (IoT) and how it can be leveraged to deliver new products and services that drive positive business outcomes and end-user value.

‘Largest Ever’ Deployment of NFC Tags in Wines and Spirits

Thin Film Electronics the major NFC mobile marketing and smart product solutions provider, is partnering with Spanish winemaker, Barbadillo, with the launch of a consumer-focused marketing campaign using Thinfilm’s SpeedTap™ tags and CNECT Brand Analytics SaaS Platform.

CONGRESS TOPIC: Blockchain Gains Support in Food Supply Chain

The food industry is warming up to blockchain, according to Ambrosus, the Swiss startup which was founded last year, but officially launched late in July this year. An Initial Coin Offering (ICO) will begin in September. According to its website, the company aims to use cutting-edge technology to improve the food supply chain: “Combining high-tech sensors, blockchain protocol and smart contracts, to build the world’s first publicly verifiable, community-driven ecosystem to assure the quality, safety, and origins of food.”

RFID Puts You in Control of the Coffee Bean

While many people take their coffee drinking seriously, even those with a proper espresso machine at home do not roast their own beans. This is typically done on an industrial scale using specialist equipment, far away from the end user. Now Bonaverde intend to bring roasting into the kitchen with the first all-in-one machine that turns raw, green coffee beans into ‘proper coffee’ thanks largely to RFID technology.

Packaging a Podcast ‘Adds Tactility’ to Listening Experience

A student at the UK’s Royal College of Art (RCA), graduate Seungtae Oh, has created packaging designs for podcasts including Serial and 99% Invisible to add tactility to the listening experience. Oh's Making Podcast Physical project explores the ways podcasts could go beyond audio-only. It also asks how producers could exploit printed materials as a way of boosting their show's identity.

Mobile Sensor Platforms Now Include NFC Capabilities

Thinfilm Electronics, one of the leaders in NFC (near field communication) mobile marketing and smart product solutions, has announced a partnership with Cratus Technology, which will integrate Thin Films technology into mobile sensor platforms, enabling location sensing and tamper-evidence monitoring of high-value goods through a smartphone or commercial reader.

Fake Cosmetics Purchased by 25% of Online Consumers

A new report indicates that at least 25% of consumers surveyed have unknowingly bought fake cosmetics and personal care products. The MarkMonitor data suggests that ecommerce may be helping facilitate the sale of counterfeit beauty items.

Tamper Evident Label on the Move…Plus added Authentication Tech

OpSec Security, which is involved in securing, enhancing and protecting brands, has developed a fully functioning tamper-evident label that may be repositioned after initial application, called the OpSec Repositionable Tamper-Evident Label

The END of Counterfeiting with Quantum Technology

An article in Securing Industry claims new quantum technology from a British university will "make counterfeiting impossible". Developed by Lancaster University, the atomic-scale tech uses the two-dimensional material graphene to generate a unique identity tag that can be scanned by a smartphone.

Adhesive Film Will Be Antimicrobial

An EU project FLEXPOL brings together a consortium of research and industry partners from Italy, Spain, Portugal, United Kingdom and Germany to develop a pilot line for cost-efficient antimicrobial adhesive film manufacturing.

New Pouch Keeps Produce Safe – It’s a Gas!

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Florida, led by plant pathologist Jinhe Bai, are helping a company develop a small plastic pouch designed to make produce safer. The pouch releases chlorine dioxide gas, which eliminates Escherichia coli bacteria and other pathogens from the surfaces of fruits and vegetables. The research focuses on finding ways to reduce pathogen contamination of produce.

New Agreement Will Speed Up NFC Adoption

AIPIA has joined forces with The NFC Forum by signing a liaison agreement. The Forum has also inked a similar agreement with the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). These alliances will allow for the adoption and usability of Near Field Communication (NFC) in packaging and wireless charging.

Interesting A&IP Related Events for your Diary

Dateline Wednesday, Oct 4, our friends at Packaging Management and Packaging will be organize their first Food Waste Congress 2017 in Bussum, near Amsterdam. The congress topics will look at the prevention of food waste and the role that packaging can play in this.

SURVEY: develop active and intelligent packaging in Asia

11-07-2017

This survey is to do with the Chinese market and will help us measure the level of interest in developing links or running events. This is open to ALL members and, even if you already have contacts/establishments/ representatives in this country, or somewhere in Asia, which covers the China market, your views are still important. We are sending this survey in conjunction with PRIME Consulting, our representative office in China.

Why and how brands are making their packaging and print digitally connected

11-07-2017

Article by AIPIA member LINKZ: It is no longer just millennials that tweet, pin, chat, snap and scan. People are using their smartphones to interact with the world around them. Therefore it is important for brands to be present and consistent across more media channels than ever. Connected packaging and print is a powerful new channel. It means that people can use their smartphone to scan a trigger and in return receive digital content, which adds value to the customer experience. Brands are discovering this exciting new channel, which can also help them gain detailed insight into customer behaviour and preferences...

SURVEY: Intelligent packaging sustainability

11-07-2017

This survey can be filled in by every member who manufactures RFID/NFC tags, uses them as a component, or actually uses them/is considering using them as an ‘on pack’ device (so Brand owners or Retailers particularly). This is part of our work with the OE-A Sustainability Working Group and will help us enormously to contribute to its work on the issues of recycling of packaging containing RFID/NFC tags which is currently under discussion by the European Commission.

To all Congress Attendees and Speakers

10-07-2017

The AIPIA App is waiting for you to be downloaded It is your access to the AIPIA Community and to all the activities, program and attendees of the upcoming World Congress in Amsterdam. The App is available to those who register for the congress. Do not wait too long to register, because we do have a maximum capacity. See you in the App and in Amsterdam.

New Pharma Label: Seeing Stars is All about Security

Covectra, a serialization, authentication, and track and trace technology services provider, recently launched StellaGUARD, a new security solution for pharma products. The label is embedded with stars that are arranged in unique and random patterns and contain a serialized GS1 2D barcode, enabling real time authentication and serialized pedigree tracking through the use of a mobile app, also developed by Covectra.

Africa Looks to RFID for Improved Cool Chain Security

SGS, the Swiss-based inspection, verification, testing and certification services company, is currently in discussions with several businesses in Africa to track cold-chain goods as they are transported by truck, so identifying or preventing thefts.

Biodegradable AND Antimicrobial Food Packaging

Researchers at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) in Lithuania are creating biodegradable food packaging materials which, in addition, will keep food fresh for longer, they claim.

Integration of GSI Standards with IoT Technology

EVRYTHNG, the Internet of Things (IoT) smart products platform for consumer products, has launched the first ever integration of EVRYTHNG Active Digital Identities™ with GS1 Standards, it says. The integration enables brands to use the billions of existing GS1 identifiers deployed on consumer goods to web-enable their products and drive new digital applications across the product lifecycle. EVRYTHNG is a member of the GS1 US Solution Partner Program.

Electronic Pack Controls Dosing of Nasal Medication

Aptar Pharma, an international manufacturer of drug delivery systems, has announced the approval, by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), of the first integrated electronic nasal spray lockout device (e-Lockout). The device/package has been developed in partnership with Takeda Pharmaceuticals. EMA has granted marketing authorization for this multidose nasal spray treatment under the name Instanyl DoseGuard™.

RFID in Fashion at Top UK Retailer

One of the UK’s leading department store retailers, John Lewis, has deployed ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) EPC RFID technology at 34 of its 46 stores to improve inventory management of key fashion products. The rollout took place in only three months at the end of 2016, with 25,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs) including lingerie, sleepwear, swimwear and men's formal wear now being tracked.

New Security Label Range Offers Supply Stability

UPM Raflatac has launched four new products for security labeling for the European market, all of which guarantee long-term supply stability, it claims. The new Raflasec range of security labeling materials promises a full 30-month window for any requalification requirements, with a two-year shelf life from the date of manufacture and six months' notice of any future change.

Real-Time Logger Offers Instant Data Access

AIPIA member DeltaTrak® announced the release of a new, single use, FlashLink Real-Time Monitoring Solution during the United Fresh Expo, in Chicago. This system combines the FlashLink Real-Time In-Transit Logger with a 24/7 cloud service.

EU Moves Towards Inclusion of QR Codes on Pharma Packs

Allowing QR codes on medicines packaging is being considered by European regulators, reflecting the shift towards digital communication between drug makers and patients, according to a recent article in Securing Industry. The move shows that EU regulators are in favor of using on-pack codes in a way that extends beyond compliance with the drug authentication principles – based on 2D datamatrix codes - enshrined within the Falsified Medicines Directive.

KFC Bucket Doubles as Sound & Light Box

KFC’s creative team has come up with a new pack for the South African market, designed to make suppertime a ‘theatre, while you eat’ experience. KFC South Africa has repurposed its buckets into light and sound displays thanks to the use of some smartphone technology.

What’s ON: AIPIA China Summit

Once again AIPIA is returning to the ProPak China exhibition in Shanghai to organize a summit on the latest developments in Active & Intelligent Packaging (A&IP). Specifically aimed at the Asian market, but with a global perspective, the association has lined up 6 top line speakers for the event, which takes place on 13th July in the exhibition.

Travelling Free Thanks to Smart Bottle

Lucozade, one of the UK’s biggest selling energy drinks, now part of the Lucozade Ribena Suntory stable, partnered with Transport for London, which operates London Underground, to offer a free ride to commuters through a ‘smart’ bottle of the Brand’s Energy Orange drink.

Total Control and Transparency from QR based System for Dairy

SIG Combibloc a leading makers of aseptic carton packaging systems for food and beverages has partnered with Languiru, of Brazil, to launch an innovative digital solution to ensure total transparency of quality and food safety, as well as control of the production process in the industry and personalized digital marketing, it says.

An Apple Day Puts NFC in World Play!

News broke at the 2017 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference where the company announced its expansion on NFC. The iOS 11 system, which is set to arrive in Q3 of 2017 will have features allowing the iPhone to read any NFC tag. The software update is dedicated for iPhone 7 and 7 Plus (and presumably future models as well). Finally! The immediate reaction from many quarters of the tag world, which has been waiting for this moment for several years, was a very positive and enthusiastic.

European Parliament proposes to cut European food waste in half by 2030

Environment MEPs recently put forward a number of possible measures to cut the EU 88 million tonnes per year food waste in half by 2030. MEPs called on the European Commission to lift existing restrictions on food donations and stressed a solution is needed for the confusion created for many consumers by the “best before” and “use by” labelling.

Building Customer Relationships is Key to Brand Success

Over a fifth of consumers have boycotted a brand following a scandal or negative press, according to a new study from YouGov. Inside the Mindset of a Brand Boycotter explores the nature of consumers that stop using a brand and how vital it is to placate their anger following adverse headlines. It shows that of those who stopped using a brand, almost three quarters still do not.

Counterfeit Cosmetics Haul is 70 Tons!

Nearly 70 tons of fake cosmetics have been seized by Cambodian authorities in the biggest haul of its kind in the country. The seized items, potentially worth millions of dollars, include skin-whitening cream, shampoo, conditioners, hair spray and hair colouring treatments, imitating brands including Sunsilk, Pantene, Head & Shoulders and Schwarzkopf. There were also products copying Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese and German brands.

RFID Systems will Drive Innovation in e-commerce Packaging

The retail industry is in the middle of a digital transformation, according to a study sponsored by packaging company Jabil. Due to the growth of e-commerce, smart devices, digital wallets and an increasingly tech-savvy customer base, the retail experience is undergoing what seems like a permanent change.

Fake Food and Drink Seizures Hit New High but e-commerce Fraud Down

In an operation involving 61 countries more than 26 million litres of fake alcohol has been seized by INTERPOL – Europol. Operation Opson, the sixth one to take place, grabbed 9,800 tonnes of food from 50,000 retail outlets including shops, markets and airports. The value of the items is estimated at around $230 million.

New Thinfilm & Pragmatic Facilities to Ramp Up Mass Production of PE

Two important new production facilities will shortly come on stream that will significantly alter the landscape for mass production of Printed Electronics. In separate announcements both PragmatIC Printing and Thifilm Electronics announced major new investments enabling mass market rollout.

High-tech Nano Sticker can Offer Magical Possibilities

Open Monitor is a high-tech sticker, already being used in the lottery sector, which extends the advertising effectiveness of promotion campaigns through a time delayed release of information (e.g. win-codes, advertising messages etc), say the developers.

Connected Bottle Adds Sparkle to Danone Waters

MYPACK team has confirmed that Danone Waters has chosen the MYPACK® mobile-centric IoT solution for connected packaging with a scope of activation for up to 20 countries where Danone Waters currently operates. Part of the worldwide food company, it offers a well known range of waters and low-sugar drinks including the top brands Evian, Volvic and Badoit.

New Alliance for Global Serialization and Traceability

AIPIA members SGS, a leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, and Kezzler, prominent in serialization and tracking and tracing business services, have announced a strategic alliance agreement to jointly market a global serialization and tracking and tracing services solution.

You Heard it on the Snack Pack - not the Grapevine

Popular snack brand Doritos and Marvel Studios are getting together for the rollout of the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 soundtrack. The centerpiece of the companies’ Rock Out Loud campaign is a custom-designed, limited-edition series of Doritos bags featuring a built-in cassette tape deck-inspired player that plays the full soundtrack. The bags can also be recharged for repeat listening...

Are you too busy to innovate?

24-05-2017

Innovation can be defined simply as a "new idea, device or method". However, innovation is often also viewed as the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, unarticulated needs, or existing market needs.This is accomplished through more-effective products, processes, services, technologies, or business models that are readily available to markets, governments and society. The term "innovation" can be defined as something original and more effective and, as a consequence, new, that "breaks into" the market or society. It is related to, but not the same as, invention. Innovation is often manifested via the engineering process... (wikipedia)

Hot New Can for Cool Beer!

Carrying on the tradition of introducing exciting pack developments using Active & Intelligent Packaging – particularly thermochromic inks - Coors Light has introduced the ‘world’s first’ beer cans with sun activated ink technology – currently only available to the Canadian market...

Partnership Enables Security Marker Printed Direct on to Packs

AR Packaging, based in Lund Sweden, has developed a process it is calling FUTECO, to print copy resistant and random security markers combined with inline variable QR codes directly onto the packaging. It is forming a new partnership with Cypheme, based in Paris, France to develop the commercial potential of the technology...

Pharma Protection and Communication Platform Scoops Award

The SMART Packaging System delivered by Talkin‘ Things® and MCC Label has been given an award for The Best Innovation in Patient Safety at the Pharmapack exhibition held in Paris recently. The solution provides a complex protection and communication platform for patient and medicine...

Award Winning Temperature Tracker and Datalogger

Identiv’s next-generation uTrust Sense Temperature Tracker solution has won Best New Product in the 11th Annual RFID Journal Awards during the RFID Journal LIVE! event earlier this month. The end-to-end solution includes a low-cost, secure, portable smart sensor label that tracks and stores temperature readings...

New RFID Tag Aimed at Cosmetics Applications

Checkpoint Systems has announced the availability of its Windlight RFID label for cosmetics categories and other merchandise-visibility applications. The new label features Impinj's Monza R6-P RAIN RFID tag chip, which is designed for serializing apparel, electronics, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and jewelry...

USA SmartLabel™ Initiative Gaining Momentum

The new SmartLabel™ digital transparency initiative is growing rapidly, with more companies and brands using the digital platform to give consumers access to more information than could ever fit on a package label, according to one of the initiative’s promoters, the USA Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA)...

AR and Digital Printing Combine to Create News Bottle

A case study which appeared in a book entitled Digital Print - A Bigger Spectrum (2016), according to PKN in Australia, illustrates the power of customized digitally printed packaging combined with Augmented Reality (AR) to create a very special water bottle for the Japanese market. The Mainichi water brand created a News Bottle targeting young people who have stopped engaging with printed news media...

New Nano Technology Enables Cheap Printed Transistors

AMBER, the Science Foundation Ireland-funded materials science research centre based in Trinity College Dublin, have fabricated printed transistors consisting entirely of 2-dimensional nano-materials for the first time. The research findings have been published in the journal Science...

Condition Changing Colour Packs Debut at interpack

New technology for indicating the condition of products through a colour change on the pack, developed by Brazilian conglomerate Braskem, the biggest producer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas, in partnership with Clemson University in the USA and Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul Federal University, will be presented during interpack 2017...

Cannabis Packaging Gets Active AND Smart

Sugarmade Inc, based in California, has announced the completion of an agreement allowing it to introduce a new set of intelligent and active packaging systems for cannabis transport and storage. These products will allow cultivators and retailers to preserve THC levels, protect trichomes and save terpenes, while helping to mitigate pathogen levels, all of which are critical to the marketing and enjoyment of high-quality cannabis flowers...

The Milky Way: New Protein Based Active Bioplastic

France based company Lactips has developed thermoplastic pellets based on milk protein, which show an incredible variety of technological properties such as water solubility, edibility and biodegradability according to the company CEO Marie-Helene Gramatikoff...

New Liner for Rigid IBCs Offers Better Barrier Properties

MAUSER Group, a German based company specializing in industrial packaging, has developed skINliner™, a new barrier technology for IBCs which combines the advanced barrier performance of multilayer plastic film technology with the logistical and lifecycle benefits of rigid packaging, it claims...

New Generation Tamper Evident NFC Closure for Wines and Spirits

GCL Technologies the technological research centre of Guala Closures Group, in partnership with NXP Semiconductors, has announced, after one year of intensive research and development, they are able to present the industry’s first fully integrated and mass scalable NFC tamper evident closure solution dedicated to the wine and spirits industry...

Major US Retail Group Rolls Out Avery’s RFID Tags

AIPIA member Avery Dennison has announced a global Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) partnership agreement with major USA retail group Target. It is part of that company’s deployment of RFID technology to more than 1,600 stores to help maximize inventory availability and deliver an enhanced consumer experience. According to the companies this deployment is the largest of its kind to date...

Wine and Pouch Applications for Oxygen Barrier Solution

AIPIA Member ALBIS PLASTIC will showcase its active packaging solution for bag-in-box (BIB) wine, at this year’s interpack trade fair. “SHELFPLUS® O² oxygen scavenger has made the jump from thermoforming to flexible films,” says Roland Schultz, director marketing packaging. "The PE-based masterbatch is used in a laminable PE sealing film and helps improve product quality and shelf life. In many markets it makes it much easier to replace metallized films.”

It’s Time to Have Your Say at AIPIA World Congress

The AIPIA Congress and Hackathon will take place on 2/3 November 2017 in the Beurs van Berlage in the heart of Amsterdam. We are now beginning the process of building the program for this exciting and hugely popular event. So we now ask for expressions of interest from those companies and persons who would like to be considered as a speaker...

Tread Label Track Tyres Better

Netherlands-based technology company Ferm RFID Solutions is releasing an upgraded version of an adhesive tread label for tyre producers. It serves as a universal ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID tag with a read range of approximately 8m (26ft) that can be read in bulk, even in environments such as stacked tyres on metal racks...

Google Patent Points Way to new VR Packs

A recently published Google’s patent application describes an ‘Integrated mobile device packaging and virtual reality headset’. The concept is to provide a ‘relatively low cost’ VR headset solution by shipping the smartphone in packaging that doubles as a VR viewer, according to a recent article in Road to VR...

Celebrating St Patrick’s Day – the Jameson way

St. Patrick’s Day is a very special occasion for the Irish. For 2017, Jameson, one of the top Irish whiskey brands owned by Pernod Ricard, celebrated by commissioning local artist Steve McCarthy to create a piece of original label art for its Limited Edition Bottle. But this year Jameson took this creativity a step further by introducing the brand’s first ‘connected’ bottle...

Smart medical pack improves compliance and patient experience

Instruction leaflets are confusing at the best of times. But they could be a matter of life and death if you’ve just been diagnosed with a chronic disease and suddenly need to learn fast how to inject yourself with vital medication...

Light Blocking Label Film Extends Shelf Life

Klöckner Pentaplast has developed the Pentalabel® eklipse™, a shrink label film which offers maximum light blocking properties into the film process and satisfies a market need for films that are cost-effective, process efficient and improve light barrier characteristics, it claims...

Bags of Flavour!

An ovenable cooking bag, which uses herbs and spices to flavour the food while cooking, is the latest product from food packaging manufacturer Sirane. Bags of Ideas – a new campaign showcasing the company’s cooking bag solutions –features an addition to its BBQ/oven cooking bag using...

Debut for Printed Label with RFID Sensor Platform

Schreiner PrinTronics, Schreiner Group’s competence center for printed electronics will present a ‘world first’ printed RFID sensor platform, featuring a complex label with electrical functions at the upcoming LOPEC exhibition (29-30/3 Munich.)...

Orange Rolls out Connected Packaging for its Products

With 263 million customers in 29 countries, Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators. It has chosen MYPACK to connect 25 of its home range products via the packaging. This versatile and cost-effective technology is seen by Orange to support customer experience and brand engagement, it claims. MYPACK also offers rapid deployment from any desktop or tablet...

AIPIA World Congress and Hackathon

14-03-2017

This year, as well as the usual first class Presentations and Demonstrations on the implementation and technological developments of Active & Intelligent Packaging, we are going to make the Congress even more dynamic, with a series of HACKATHONS.

Cosmetics Customers Can Get Connected

E Ink® Holdings (AIPIA Member), a leading innovator of electronic ink technology and TEXEN, a major provider of product solutions for the luxury and beauty market, have announced a collaboration to bring personalized packaging solutions to cosmetic customers.

Holograms Aim to Solve Nutty Problem

The world's largest and heaviest nut, the coco de mer, is getting an upgraded anti-counterfeiting system according to an article in Securing Industry. Found on just two islands of the Seychelles archipelago in the Indian Ocean, the coco de mer palm has seeds or nuts that reach half a metre in diameter and can weigh as much as 25 kilograms...

New NFC Connected Box for Cold Chain Meds

AIPIA Member Blulog which specialises in securing the cold chain with temperature indicators, has announced the launch of its NFC-connected boxes – in partnership with Emballi’so, a French partner which designs, manufactures, tests and qualifies temperature controlled packaging for the protection of the thermo sensitive products in transit...

Sweet Potato and Thyme Make Bio Film with Nano Clay

Scientists at North Carolina A&T State University have fabricated and characterized a biodegradable nanocomposite film using sweet potato starch and thyme essential oil. They indicate that sweet potato starch may provide a viable solution to the waste disposal problem generated by plastic packaging materials...

Investment in Internet of Packaging to Track Deliveries

Swedish packaging company BillerudKorsnäs has taken a further step into the Internet of Packaging by investing in a minority holding in UK technology company Hanhaa. The company’s solution allows users to track not only the location but also the condition of their deliveries in real time and on a large scale no matter the country or carrier...

Food package's life cycle research

23-02-2017

Consumers, food producers and retailers continuously search for new ways to offer and receive more information, transparency and guarantees about for example the quality, safety, origin, authenticity, or transport and storage conditions of (packaged) food products. The most obvious way to realize this is through the food package itself, but the underlying design, development and production processes and methods gradually fail to rapidly and efficiently respond to constantly changing demands, stricter regulations, new food products and emerging technologies...

Four New Developments Add to Thinfilms Market Presence

Thin Film Electronics the leading NFC (Near Field Communication) provider of smart-packaging solutions using printed electronics, has announced a raft of new partnerships and contracts to bring this smart technology to an even wider market...

Watch Out for MORE Augmented Reality Packaging Technology in 2017

Augmented Reality (AR) is one of the most exciting technologies to emerge in the intelligent packaging space and one to watch in 2017, according to a recent article in Australian packaging journal PKN. AR is opening a world of possibilities to brand owners seeking to drive immersive consumer interaction with their products...

New Dutch Taskforce to Fight Food Waste and EU Urged to be More Holistic on Waste

In an attempt to ‘re-boot’ rather unsuccessful attempts at food waste reduction Wageningen University & Research, in collaboration with the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Sustainable Food Alliance has initiated a new Taskforce aimed at connecting initiatives against food waste...

The Rise and Rise of SMART Labels, with new Development Funding Too

The global smart label market is expected to reach top $16bn in value by 2025, driven by anti-counterfeit and anti-theft applications, according to new market research from to Grand View Research (GVR). The rapid growth –around 15 percent every year – will propel the market from just $4.2bn in 2015, according in the report...

Hidden QR Makes This New Cup Hot Promotion Tool!

Huhtamaki has produced the Monaco Cup, a single-use paper cup featuring a label with a unique QR code that is now for sale at some Shell service stations, restaurants and cafes in Finland. The new digitalized content and marketing platform makes single-use paper cup a perfect media tool for smart device centered promotional campaigns, says the company. Unique and dynamic QR codes are hidden under heat-sensitive printing and controlled with special digital data and content management software.

Tostitos Bag Makes You Think When You Drink!

Frito-Lay created a limited-edition “Party Safe” bag for its Tostitos brand, which told imbibing Super Bowl fans to think twice before driving home from that big match party. The special bag, created by Goodby Silverstein & Partners, was equipped with a sensor connected to a microcontroller, calibrated to detect small traces of alcohol on a person’s breath. If any alcohol is detected, the sensor turns red and forms the image of a steering wheel, along with an Uber code and a ‘Don’t drink and drive’ message.

ActinPak launches Student Competition to Increase Collaboration

ActInPak the EU funded COST Action focused on active, smart and intelligent fibre-based packaging solutions, has launched a Student Competition (SC) aimed at increasing collaboration between European students, researchers and companies in the field of active & intelligent packaging...

Silver Nanowire Inks Open Up Substrate Possibilities

Printed electronics, which can be used on a wide scale in devices, including RFID tags, currently have one major drawback: for the circuits to work, they first have to be heated to melt all the nanoparticles together into a single conductive wire, making it impossible to print circuits on inexpensive plastics or paper...

Medicines Get Layers of Security with New Label

Regulations such as EU 2016/161, which has to be implemented by February 9, 2019, require innovative solutions to protect patients against falsified medicines . A newly developed label, from Schreiner MediPharm , demonstrates a combination of diverse digital security features on a Booklet-Label with an integrated first-opening seal...

Events for Your Diary

Here are details of some events which readers may be interested in exploring. We have secured some discounts for some of these. Go to the events section of the AIPIA website and follow the links for more information on some, or visit their websites: ...

New Antimicrobial Pad Adds 2 Days to Shelf Life

Anti-microbial absorbent packaging from Sirane has given diced beef two additional days’ shelf-life in recent trials with one major UK meat processing company. The independently-run trials showed a two-day increase from nine to 11 days on the shelf-life of the packs containing the company’s ABM pads, compared to existing packaging...

Member Cooperation Leads to New High Volume PE Device

The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), based in the UK, has successfully completed a project to create a novel printed energy harvesting device, which will play an important role in the development of packaging with electronic functionality, it says. Powered by near-field communication (NFC) technology, the device will draw energy from the user’s mobile telephone, facilitating the wider adoption of NFC-enabled printed electronic components. This technology is essential for...

Three Way Member Partnership Develops Connected Packaging Solution

WestRock Company has unveiled a connected packaging solution for smart products that combines Digimarc’s enabled barcode technology, with EVRYTHNG’s IoT Smart Products Platform to bring embedded, real time, connected digital intelligence to billons of WestRock packages, in-store signs and displays it produces annually...

Recycled Prawn Shells can Save Egyptian Waste and Food

Bioengineers at The University of Nottingham in the UK are working on the use of shrimp shells (Chitosan) to make biodegradable shopping bags, as a ‘green’ alternative to oil-based plastic, and as a new food packaging material to extend product shelf life...

Same Town, but Different Place for AIPIA Congress 2017

24-01-2017

AIPIA, the Active & Intelligent Packaging Industry Association, is pleased to announce the date and venue for its 2017 World Congress, which will be the 6th in the highly successful series of events. The Congress will remain in Amsterdam, as the location seemed to be very popular with delegates. But it will move to the Congress Centre Beurs van Berlage, which is an iconic building just opposite the Central Station. Dates are 2nd & 3rd November.

Antimicrobial Packaging Market worth $10 Billion by 2021

According to a report issued in 2016 by MarketsandMarkets the antimicrobial packaging market will be worth just over $10 Billion by 2021, rising from $7.28 Billion in 2015, at a CAGR of 5.54%. The report is entitled Antimicrobial Packaging Market by Base Material, Antimicrobial Agents, Technology, Pack Type, Application, Region - Forecast to 2021...

Packaging the ‘dark horse’ of marketing says report

Packaging design is the ‘dark horse’ of the marketing world and is ‘vastly under-estimated’, according to a new report from research company Nielsen. The company analyzed 9,900 product launches across Europe in the past two years and found 11 that “truly broke through” according to the story which appeared in the UK’s Packaging News...

Anti-Counterfeiting Grows to Combat Fake Food

Brand protection is becoming increasingly important as food tops the list of the most valuable counterfeit markets, according to Sean Riley, a senior director at PMMI, the USA’s association for processing and packaging thechnologies. Globalization is creating an increasingly complex, continuously growing supply chain. With more suppliers and more products coming from different countries, it is critical to...

Positive Outlook for Printed Electronics

“The interest is increasingly high in adding electronics to everyday items including the wearables space, smart packaging and smart labels,” said Roy Bjorlin, commercial and strategic initiatives director, printed electronics at Sun Chemical, in an end-of-year interview with the editor of Printed Electronics Now...

AIPIA Part of NanoPack Project to Improve Food Safety

AIPIA HAS been formally accepted as a partner organization of the EU funded NanoPack project which will develop and introduce nanotechnology-based antimicrobial packaging to enhance food safety and reduce food waste. The project is funded with €7.7 Million under the Horizon 2020 EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation...

Is your Christmas Tree FRESH?

Finally for 2016, lets finish with a Festive Flourish! Blulog, the Polish/French suppliers of temperature monitoring technologies for cold chain security, has been working with the Zawonia plantation to set up its monitoring solution on its Christmas trees...

Award for Smart Authentication Pharma Pack

Melasan, a food supplement provider and Authentic Vision, a provider of mobile authentication and engagement solutions, recently received an award for an innovative anti-counterfeiting smart-packaging solution for the pharma industry from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs in Austria...

Creating hidden images with commercial inkjet printers

Researchers have developed a way to use commercial inkjet printers and readily available ink to print hidden images that are only visible when illuminated with appropriately polarized waves in the terahertz region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The inexpensive method could be used as a type of invisible ink to hide information in otherwise normal-looking images, making it possible to distinguish between authentic and counterfeit items, for example...

Wine Bottles with Corks Authenticated by NFC Capsule

Amcor Capsules has worked with anti-counterfeiting technology company Selinko to bring to market an anti-counterfeit solution known as InTact, a Near Field Communication (NFC)-enabled capsule that can be fitted over a corked bottle of wine or spirits...

Harnessing the Power of QR & AR

Two Finnish companies working in the Internet of Things (IoT) sector, Sovelto and Magic Add, have recently demonstrated that wearable augmented reality (AR) devices can scan optically readable unique codes from products in the wearer’s environment, which, they say, could simplify and speed up the shopping experience for consumers...

Fresh Insights into the Packaging of the Future

Our friends at Packz are running their Packaging Insights seminars for a 5th season in early 2017. Two dates have been booked at the Hotel New York in Rotterdam: 12th January and 9th February 2017. The topics for 2017:...

Smart Dispensing Solution for Medicines Aids Safety and Compliance

Amcor Rigid Plastics, a division of Amcor, has announced the launch of an RFID-integrated pill-dispensing solution. The battery-powered system, known as the S.M.R.T Bottle (the initials stand for separate, monitor, release and track), has a clock-calendar function that registers and stores the time, date and number of each dose taken...

Charity Will Benefit From Scannable Coke Bottles

Global soft drinks brand, Coca-Cola has launched a Christmas campaign that will raise awareness of hunger charity FareShare’s work with millions of people across the UK, while raising vital funds to help feed people in need. The charity redistributes food that...

Vitamin Products DownUnder Protected by Tracer Particles

Australian company Blackmores, which makes a range of vitamins and natural health products, will use anti-counterfeit packaging technology by brand protection group YPB for its vitamins range over the next two years according to a report in PKN recently...

Its in the Can: New Partnership Adds Digital Intelligence on Industrial Scale

Crown Holdings one of the world’s major metal packaging producers and EVRYTHNG, the Internet of Things (IoT) smart products platform developer, are collaborating to help food and beverage brand owners harness the power of IoT technology by...

New Can Code Offers Security and Marketing Opportunities

To help brands improve product traceability and support greater consumer engagement, Crown has developed CrownSecure™, a code scanning system for cans that assigns every package a unique identity, quick response (QR) code. During manufacturing and distribution, product information is...

New Label Shows When Food Pack Opened

Insignia Technologies, based in the UK, has developed ‘Pull and Time’; an active and intelligent film label solution that helps prevent food waste by offering consumers information about how long a food package has been open...

Tracing your REAL Olive Oil

Italian olive oil producers are turning to near-field communication (NFC) tags to allow customers to authenticate purchases, as reported in Securing Industry. Producers from the Tuscany region will use tags supplied by ThinFilm Electronics in combination with...

Tamper Evident Seal is One Step Ahead of the Bad Guys

As a result of cooperation between Finnish companies Starcke and Jujo Thermal, the companies can offer multilayered security solution in the form of the EXTRASSURE® tamper evident seal, they claim. The main features of the seal are:...

‘Fingerprint’ Technology now Available Through Smartphones

Developed by Arjo Solutions, Signoptic®, based on the fingerprint of the material, already protects many major brands in the fight against counterfeiting and parallel markets by generating a unique, digital identity from the material of the product, which guarantees its authenticity and ensure its traceability...

Smart Garments Offer Digital Experiences

Avery Dennison Retail Branding and Information Solutions (RBIS), and IoT Smart Products Platform provider EVRYTHNG, have announced a cutting-edge collaboration with New York fashion brand Rochambeau to produce an exclusive Fall/Winter run of ‘BRIGHT BMBR’ connected jackets powered by...

Data Loggers for Hospital Drugs in Transit

The Independent Clinical Public Hospital n°1 in Wrocław, Poland has chosen innovative boxes with integrated temperature traceability from the French/Polish company BluLog, to provide temperature and localisation data for the transport of cytotoxic drugs...

New RFID solutions for cosmetics and Fragrances

RFID technology solutions provider SML Group has announced new intelligent packaging technologies for RFID retail supply chain management to improve inventory management and to strengthen brand security, it says. The new smart packaging designs have been developed to overcome the...

Avery Dennison Invests in PragmatIC to Deliver Affordable Smart Packaging

PragmatIC, one of the leading flexible electronics developers, has secured £18 million of funding including a strategic investment from Avery Dennison, which has global positions in labelling and packaging materials as well as radio frequency identification (RFID). Avery Dennison joins existing shareholders...

New Tear Strip for Pharma Destroys the Label to Halt Re-use

Schreiner has introduced the Flexi-Cap Plus, a new generation of its security solution said to irreversibly indicate the first opening of primary containers to prevent their illegal reuse with counterfeit substances. The new version features...

Ready for a Top Up? The Ice Cube Knows!

Martini introduced a novel experience for people visiting its pop-up bar at the recent Italian Grand Prix. They could opt for a drink with an intelligent ice cube containing a Bluetooth beacon and sensor that could not only cool their beverage, but also order the next one for them...

Instant Coffee…but not as we Know It!

Dutch product designer Vincent Gielen has created an on-the-go beverage heater that works with the push of a button. The Press self-heating cup works by the activation of calcium oxide thermodynamic core. By pressing the button, a small hole in activator and water within the activator mixes with the calcium oxide, producing heat in the process...

Shippers Treat Bikes Better if They Think They’re TVs!

Occasionally we like to feature a story which may not be strictly A&IP, but is certainly smart! Because Dutch bike company VanMoof makes a lot of its sales online, it relies on shipping firms to deliver its highly prized two-wheelers. But the problem is a lot of the bikes were getting damaged en route to the customer ... until an employee came up with a brainwave...

Auto Injector Labels Feature Holograms, QR code and NFC chips

Schreiner MediPharm has developed specialty labels, using holograms, QR codes and NFC chips for demo devices of various auto injector models from SHL Medical. These label solutions meet the exacting demands made on the injection systems in terms of quality and patient orientation, says the company...

Stop Press: Additional Presentation News Intelligent Cold Chains

An ultra low cost smart label for cold-chain monitoring of products as wide ranging as vegetables and pharmaceuticals has been developed by Cold Pharma /Blueline World. Speaker Marco Mandelli, will offer some case studies about the technology:...

UWI Technology develops electronic label with added functionality

23-10-2016

New to the active and intelligent packaging market, UWI Technology is developing an electronic label, which offers additional functionality to the original UWI Label. Sergey Gordeyev, Chief Science Officer explains, “The electronic label can include various environmental sensors, tailored to your needs, for example:...

Stora Enso Intelligent Packaging: Rethinking Retail

23-10-2016

Thinking about online shopping and retail - and the packages delivering products. How can intelligent packaging make life easier and more sustainable for the consumers and add value to brand owners and other stakeholders?...

CSP Technologies: Customizable Product Protection Solutions: Activ-Blister™

23-10-2016

As well as Activ-Seal™ CSP has also introduced Activ-Blister™, another innovative technology that protects oral solid dose pharmaceuticals. These solutions address product protection concerns related to buffering humidity and removing moisture, oxygen as well as other gasses and reactive impurities...

Murata to Demonstrate its A&IP Credentials

A latecomer to the Demonstration Area this year is Japanese company (but with a base in the Nethelands) Murata Electronics. The company designs and supplies electronic components, Bluetooth and WLAN modules, Sensors, RFID Tags, RFID solutions, RFID R/Ws and NFC solutions...

Secure solutions for the smart packaging market

NXP recently introduced new concepts for sensing and logging solutions in the packaging market. With the single chip NHS3100, NXP enables cold chain monitoring solutions for markets like pharmaceuticals, medical goods, perishable goods, not only dairy, fish, meat but also flowers or wine...

Products Smarter and More Secure with NXP’s RFID-NFC Technology

NXP’s industry-leading RFID-NFC technology solutions strengthen brands and add value at every point in the product life cycle, from raw materials and production to distribution, retail and into the consumers’ hands – even to recycling...

UWI Technology: Brand Protection Made Reassuringly Simple

The UWI Label is an elapsed time indicator. It is activated automatically and once started, it cannot be stopped. This means, not only is it tamper-proof, but also aids the authenticity of your product and perceived value of your brand, says UWI...

RAKO: Label and packaging solution for the digital future

At this year's AIPIA Congress, the RAKO Group will be presenting the unique anti-counterfeit and smart ‘RAKO Label 4.0’, a ready-to-use innovative solution for labels and packaging for Internet of Things (IoT)...

CSP Technologies: Customizable Product Protection Solutions: Activ-Seal™

CSP Technologies has introduced Activ-Seal™ dispensing solutions, an innovative technology that combines consumer-friendly oral solid dose dispensing with integrated moisture and oxygen scavenging protection. The company is a leading developer and manufacturer of packaging and...

Leading Names Show the Latest A&IP Ideas

The AIPIA World Congress is THE place to come and learn about the very latest products and ideas in Active & Intelligent Packaging. It is the only event to cover the WHOLE sector. We are proud to welcome the largest ever number of companies participating in the Demonstration Area: Seeing is Believing!...

Plastics to Light Up to Aid Recycling

11-10-2016

Plastic Packaging Recycling using Intelligent Separation technologies for Materials (PRISM) aims to identify new luminescent materials which can be applied, invisibly, to labels on plastic packaging to aid the sorting process in recycling facilities. Different polymer types could be more easily identifiable under...

New Label Varnish Fights Bugs

11-10-2016

Label manufacturer Denny Bros, is now able to add antimicrobial protection to its range of labelling products. The antibacterial additive can be applied as a floodcoat to its multi-page labels, wet peels labels, linerless labels, single ply labels and Patient Information Leaflets (PILs). This newly available feature has a much...

New ‘Simpler’ Temperature Data Logger

11-10-2016

Avery Dennison has launched the TT Sensor Plus, a simpler, more reliable, and cost-effective way to track temperatures during a product’s supply chain journey, it says. The sensor uses the latest temperature data logging technology to provide brand owners with the ability to...

Edible Wax Coating Makes Viscous Liquids Slide

05-10-2016

A Colorado State University lab offers another fix to the age old problem of getting the last drop out of a ketchup bottle. Materials scientists in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Biomedical Engineering, have created a "superhydrophobic" nonstick coating that...

Magnetic Food Tracers Moving into Pharmaceutical Protection

05-10-2016

San Francisco-based Micro-Tracers has a long history of producing tracers - which consist of food-grade plastic embedded with iron particles coated in food dies. They are added alongside ingredients such as vitamins, minerals or premixes to allow their presence in animal feeds to be confirmed. The company has now developed...

New Lights for Old on Drinks Packaging

05-10-2016

Karl Knauer was one of the original developers of illuminated drinks packaging. The technique back then was electroluminescence, now it is a new development: OLED – or organic light-emitting diodes. In cooperation with INURU GmbH from Berlin, the company says it is presenting probably the world’s first illuminated packaging with printed, flexible, OLEDs...

Anti-counterfeiting is now Child’s Play

Selinko the product identification platform provider, has teamed up with with NXP Semiconductors to provide connected packaging to a new range of children’s toys, Lini Cube - a building block construction kit integrating a 3D concept along with a completely innovative design - developed by German company Sunny Hills...

How to Find Your Pallet

Dutch start-up company Ahrma Holding will launch a new pallet concept on the logistics market. The hybrid pallets made from a mixture of fibreboard and plastics will incorporate a transponder that is integrated in each unit...

Flowers ‘Sleep’ with Water Free Logistics

Netherlands-based shelf life extension technology company PerfoTec has introduced a packaging solution for flowers that will eliminate water for supply chain purposes. Bas Groeneweg, director, explained that the shelf life of flowers can be extended using the AMAP (active modified atmospheric packaging), already commonly used in fresh fruits and vegetables markets. However...

Keeping the Birds Bacteria Free

Parkside Flexible Europe, based in Yorkshire, UK, says it has developed technically-advanced flexible packaging with built-in antimicrobial technology to reduce bacteria growth on the outer packaging of fresh poultry. The company is using...

New RAIN RFID Inlay for Apparels from Avery Dennison

Avery Dennison has introduced a new inlay supporting the ISO-18000-6C and EPC Gen 2 (RAIN) specifications ideal for denim and other apparel items, it claims. The new inlay meets or exceeds all category performance requirements specified by Auburn University's ARC testing program...

USA Food Recalls

Improved testing methods and tighter regulation led to double-digit increases in food recalls in the second quarter of 2016, according to a new report from Stericycle ExpertSolutions. FDA recalled food batches were more than 80 times higher than in the first quarter, and the USDA recalled more than 45 times more product by weight in the same period...

New Technology for Antimicrobial Packaging

Crossing is a start-up founded by Dr V. Beghetto from the University Ca’ Foscari of Venice, which has developed the know-how to produce a new class of "activators for cross-linking" (ACL) at competitive prices, he claims. These compounds are able to crosslink between them a wide range of materials of natural and/or synthetic origin...

Best Before dates are ‘Bad News’ in Europe

With pressure mounting on the European commission to reinstate food waste targets in its Circular Economy strategy a recent report from Berlin’s Humboldt University claims that confusion surrounding Best Before labels are a major contributor to the problem, says a recent article in Food Navigator...

All Change for Pharma Serialisation in China?

A major change to the existing serialization regime was signaled by the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) in February of this year when it announced the suspension of the current program, according to a report in Securing Industry. Reports coming out of China pointed to discontent about the system, run by Alibaba subsidiary Ali Health...

Nestlé and Samsung Collaborate on Digital Nutrition and Health via IoT

Nestlé and Samsung are launching a research collaboration to explore the potential of nutrition science and digital sensor technologies to provide new insights into healthy living. They are developing a new digital health platform to provide individuals with more personalised recommendations...

Classic Coffee gets Seal of Authenticity

01-09-2016

India’s largest global flexible packaging solution company, Uflex has created a ‘Seal of Authenticity’ for India’s biggest food company, Nestle India, to help it protect its celebrated coffee brand, Nescafe Classic...

Its in the Bag....Handbag!

01-09-2016

The folk at Thinfilm are out there again, this time teaming up with Maria & Donato, a craft leather-goods manufacturer in Spain, to integrate its NFC RFID tags into the M&D handbag collections to fight counterfeiting and address growing fraud concerns within the broader luxury goods market...

Rum Bottle Gets Connected with NFC

01-09-2016

Malibu, the world’s ‘favourite’ coconut flavoured rum, has launched a new ‘connected’ bottle which will be sold exclusively in UK Tesco stores from the beginning of September. The 40,000 ‘connected’ bottles are using Near Field Communication (NFC) in what is believed to be the largest global deployment of this technology on a consumer product in alcohol. All bottles will have an accompanying neck-tag to provide the consumer with a clear explanation...

Indian scientist Kirtiraj K. Gaikwad received prestigious IAFP’s scholarship award for active food packaging work

31-08-2016

Kirtiraj Kundlik Gaikwad a researcher in food packaging area at Yonsei University, Seoul South Korea has been awarded the prestigious IAFP scholarship award for the development of novel oxygen absorbing package in the field of active packaging for oxygen sensitive food products...

Nano Coating Lets the Soap Out

22-08-2016

Researchers at The Ohio State University have found a way to create the perfect texture inside plastic bottles to let soap products flow freely. They describe the patent-pending technology in a paper which appeared in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society...

Thanks a Million Graphene

22-08-2016

To improve the protection of goods such as electronics and medicines against water vapour, scientists have developed a new kind of packaging that incorporates a single layer of graphene. They report about the material, which reduces by a million times...

Making Cosmetics Safer in Asia

22-08-2016

Nanobrick, a nanoparticle specialist based in Seoul, Korea has expanded into the cosmetic sector after signing a contract with another South Korean firm, Coreana, which will see it provide its M-Tag product certification to guarantee products and eliminate the potential for fakes..

McDonalds’ Operator Tests Temperature and Location Logger

18-08-2016

A European McDonald's restaurant operator is piloting an RFID-based solution designed to provide real-time temperature and location data for such items as fresh food, pharmaceuticals and other temperature-sensitive products, from the point of harvesting or manufacture to the consumer...

Shazam Kicks In for Cornetto

18-08-2016

Music smartphone app specialists Shazam are proving to be winners in the packaging segment with, newly launched, Vision Recognition technology. Earlier this year it teamed up with Unilever ice cream brand Cornetto to feature a special app for this year’s European Football Championships to get connected with its younger customers...

Graphene Set to Speed Up IoT

EPFL (ÉCOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FÉDÉRALE DE LAUSANNE) researchers have produced a tunable, graphene-based device that could significantly increase the speed and efficiency of wireless communication systems...

Spain Forms National Nano Industry Association

Following several months of negotiations, Spain’s AEINA nanotechnology industry association was officially incorporated. Laureano Turienzo, managing director of ADParticles, was appointed association president while Raquel del Amo, operations manager of Nanotech Enterprise, becomes vice-president...

New RFID UHF Tag Report Shows Improving Performances

The European EPC Competence Center (EECC), a Germany-based provider of RFID services, has released the 2016 edition of its annual UHF Tag Performance Survey (UTPS). EECC researchers found that on-metal tags are becoming smaller and increasing in sensitivity and reliability. New label manufacturers—many based in China—are offering affordable ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID tags The European EPC Competence Center (EECC), a Germany-based provider of RFID services, has released the 2016 edition of its annual UHF Tag Performance Survey (UTPS). EECC researchers found that on-metal tags are becoming smaller...

Huge increase in UK Counterfeit Goods Seizures says BBC

A report in Securing Industry revealed that a BBC News investigation discovered that British counterfeit goods confiscations of fakes increased 76% between 2014 and 2015. Under the Freedom of Information Act, the broadcaster sought records from the councils in England’s 10 most populated cities...

Smart Label Market Double digit Growth to 2021