• July 09, 2021
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Over the past decade, FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) sector plays the role of an immense economic generator on a global scale. But the final product must be attractive to look with clear branding and labeling which can easily attract the consumer towards the shelf. That’s where the packaging industry comes in the spotlight because it plays a major role in the marketing and selling of products. Protection, Communication, Containment, and Convenience are the basic functions of packaging industries. The packaging industry also has a gigantic growth rate just as the growth of the FMCG sector. Every sort of product that is destined for storage and sale must have advanced packaging and for that, we need to update our methods with advanced technologies and digitization time by time.

Smart Packaging:                   

When we talk about advancement in the packaging industry one name is always there to make consideration is Smart packaging. Smart packaging is nothing but a sensor embedded system of product packaging for foods, pharmaceuticals, body care products, and any other type of product. This sensor-based technology is very well useful for consumer safety because it makes it easy to track the quality and freshness of the product by just scanning the QR over the packaging. Smart packaging has two main categories: active packaging which is for moisture and oxygen control and the other one is intelligent packaging which is for product changes communication and other information.

Isn’t it so handy? Yes, it is because nowadays we all have smart phones just as smart packaging. On the other side market of smart packaging is expected to reach $26.7 by 2024 on a global scale according to the report by Grand View Research which will be beneficial for the economy as well. Some recent examples of smart packaging are as below:

• DueDrop, A visual indicator which has developed by Freshpoint. DueDrops are self-adhesive labels that adjust itself according to the product on which it is applied. The integrated sensors and enhanced communication detect the spoilage and then act to ameliorate it. That’s how it signals the end of product shelf life.
• To tackle the supply chain in pharmaceuticals The Remedies Project is also working on smart packaging. This would be more like RFID tags in which some printed electronic tags will be integrated into packaging. It will provide information about a particular medicine that weather it is fit for consumption, information, and validation about that medicine, etc.
• To prevent germ growth, Inhibits mold, Odors, and to increase shelf life and product freshness Mondi has developed an innovative antimicrobial packaging solution names Sanacoat.
• For consumer engagement and real-time brand protection Amcor has developed a powerful coding system named MaXQ. It allows easy verification of authenticity with easy readability by Smartphone ready formats of code.

Thus smart packaging is a method that combines science and technology with specific substances and has the potential to reduce food waste, loss, damage with an increment of shelf life of products. Having so many benefits and convenience smart packaging is still in cradle because there are so many obstacles to rapid development. First and for most is the Budget for packaging the products, this may be less challenging in the pharma industry, where advantages such as traceability plus patient agreement are great whips, but defiantly not so in the food industry due to the direct price battles. Other obstacles are enactment, sustainability, and timing there are not too many cases of proven successes. Only with reliable and reproducible proof that smart packaging is a market resolution, it will enhance a new standard.