Active Packaging: Definition, Types, and Benefits

Consumer expectations surrounding food products are complex and fluctuating. Many Americans, for example, enjoy the fresh seafood often served at inland restaurants or the abundance of tropical fruits stacked high on grocery-store shelves throughout winter.

Yet, simultaneously, the demand for minimally processed, additive-free, and nutritious produce is rising. To satisfy these ranging demands, organizations dealing in perishables must carefully review their distribution methods and find alternate ways to preserve their product quality.

Active packaging has a vital role to play. Though not a new concept, the technology is fast developing and promising several industries a wealth of benefits.

What Is Active Packaging?

Active packaging is a form of smart packaging designed to extend the shelf life of perishable products and improve their quality. The packaging typically works by emitting or absorbing compounds within a packaged product, slowing the rate of microbial growth, moisture loss or gain, and oxygen reactions.

There are various types of active packaging, each with its own advantages and applications. Package scavengers currently dominate the market, but there are several other technologies available.

The global active packaging market is projected to grow from $15.21 billion in 2023 to $22 billion by 2030.

Applications of Active Packaging

Active packaging has applications in several industries.

Food and Beverage

The food and beverage industry is the largest end-use industry for active packaging due to the demand for shelf life extension and increasingly stringent food safety laws.

Active packaging ensures products stay fresher for longer, improves food quality, and removes any unwanted odors.

Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare

Active packaging protects pharmaceuticals and other medical supplies from oxygen and moisture to reduce damage and degradation.

For example, manufacturers of medicines and vaccinations must comply with stringent safety regulations when storing and transporting their products. Active packaging makes compliance more straightforward.

Agriculture and Horticulture

Keeping produce fresh and appetizing as it travels from source to a grocery-store shelf is a huge challenge.

Active packaging is transformative in the agricultural sector, reducing food loss waste, improving product quality, and driving better profit margins for farmers.

E-Commerce and Home Delivery Services

The outbreak of COVID-19 catalyzed the meteoric rise of the e-commerce industry. Today, consumers expect everything they need to be delivered straight to their door, which is increasing demand for more effective active packaging.

It’s one thing keeping produce fresh on a supermarket shelf where there is easy access to sophisticated temperature control systems and oxygen-tight containers, but quite another to do so during long and sporadic transits.

Types of Active Packaging Technologies

The most common types of active packaging technologies include:

Oxygen Scavengers

Oxygen scavengers, sometimes called oxygen absorbers, inhibit microbial growth by removing or decreasing the amount of oxygen inside a package, extending shelf life, and ensuring product safety.

Oxygen scavengers are most commonly used in the packaging of food and beverages, including ready-meal packets, beer caps, and sauce sachets.

Ethylene Scavengers

Ethylene scavengers most commonly come in sachet form. When placed inside packaging or incorporated into packaging material, these sachets absorb ethylene and moisture to extend a product’s shelf life.

This type of active packaging is often used in the transportation and storage of tropical fruits.

Moisture Scavengers

Moisture scavengers, which often come in sachet form, prove useful in the packaging of high-water activity food, such as fresh meat and fish.

The proper amount of moisture absorption prevents the accumulation of excess moisture, which can impact product quality and shelf life. Silica gel is the most commonly used moisture scavenger since it is non-toxic and non-corrosive.

Odor Scavengers

Sense of taste is inextricably linked to taste of smell, so packaging materials must mask any unwanted odors that may occur as food breaks down.

Odor scavengers are an active packaging material that usually consists of activated carbon/charcoal, a material capable of adsorbing and removing various odors thanks to its highly porous nature and large surface area.

Antimicrobial Agents

Antimicrobial packaging uses antimicrobial substances — such as nisin, natamycin, and lacticin — to control microbial growth inside packaged products. Antimicrobial organisms are typically incorporated into the packaging film that directly interacts with a perishable item.

This type of active packaging is particularly beneficial in packaging products that do not contain preservatives, such as minimally-processed deli meat and seafood, baked goods, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Carbon Dioxide Emitters

In the packaging of fresh produce like bakery products, meat, fish, and fruits and vegetables, it’s useful to keep carbon dioxide levels high since it has antimicrobial qualities. In addition, the gas can slow fruit softening and improve pigment retention.

Carbon dioxide emitters, which typically come in the form of pads or box systems, produce and release the gas to improve product quality and extend shelf life.

5 Benefits of Active Packaging

The benefits of active packaging include:

1. Reduced Food Waste

An estimated 80 billion pounds of food is wasted in the U.S. each year, of which 40% is at the retail level (restaurants, food service, and grocery stores). Wider use of active food packaging, which extends the product shelf life of perishables, could significantly reduce this figure.

2. Improved Sustainability

The world produces around 400 million tons of plastic waste every year. Research into effective active packaging is driving the development of biodegradable, compostable, and even edible packaging solutions, which will reduce the dependence on earth-polluting plastics.

A growing number of consumers are concerned with shopping sustainably, which means investments in eco-friendly active packaging will surely enhance brands’ reputation.

3. Supported Global Economy

Active packaging enables product distribution from a further point of origin.

Not only does this support an increasingly global e-commerce market, but it enables food, beverages, vaccinations, and medicines to be transported around the world without compromising quality or raising safety concerns.

4. Enhanced Product Quality

Around 60% of all food products in the U.S. contain artificial additives such as preservatives, sweeteners, and coloring or flavoring agents. However, studies show that Americans are seeking out less processed foods.

Active packaging materials ensure a food product is appetizing and safe for consumption without chemical additives.

5. Cost Savings

Spoiled products impact profit margins in various industries, be it agricultural, healthcare, or e-commerce. For example, the average U.S. grocery store throws away between $5,000 and $10,000 worth of food every week.

By keeping products safe and fresh for longer periods, active packaging reduces costs for manufacturers, businesses, and consumers alike.

5 Limitations of Active Packaging

Some of the challenges associated with active packaging include:

1. High Costs

Although active packaging is increasingly accessible and affordable, the costs associated with securing scalable, sustainable, and effective materials are high. Some companies cannot afford these upfront costs, despite the promise of long-term savings.

2. Supply Chain Complexity

Integrating a new packaging system into existing supply chains adds a level of complexity that some organizations may be reluctant to take on due to high costs or lack of resources.

3. Consumer Awareness

Consumer awareness and understanding of active packaging have yet to be widespread. To increase demand and adoption, more comprehensive marketing and educational campaigns may be required to increase demand and adoption.

4. Limited Applications

Active packaging material has applications in a very specific market, namely perishables. For some products or within certain industries, their impact may be perceived as negligible or non-existent, which can limit adoption.

5. Environmental Impact

Active packaging certainly reduces food waste. However, since it often integrates with existing packaging materials, it does not necessarily combat plastic waste.

Truly sustainable packaging uses sustainable materials, which are typically harder to come by and more expensive.

The Future of Active Packaging

The benefits of active packaging technology stretch far beyond containing and protecting perishables in storage and transit.

Today, it is enabling organizations in the food and beverage, healthcare, agriculture, and e-commerce industries to reduce waste, drive supply chain efficiencies, improve product safety and quality, increase profits, and enhance the customer experience.

Thanks to emerging technologies and materials, active packaging is becoming more sophisticated and affordable than ever before. The rise of 3D printing, for example, is providing organizations with the flexibility to experiment with customized packaging.

Increasingly, active packaging is also being integrated with smart packaging and intelligent packaging.

Smart packaging uses technologies like QR codes to provide real-time supply chain data, such as the location, status, and temperature of products. Customers can also scan smart bar codes to access information about a product’s origin or ingredients. RFID tags, meanwhile, are used to protect products from counterfeiting and unauthorized distribution.

Intelligent packaging features more refined sensors and indicators that provide details on the safety and status of products. Intelligent food packaging, for example, might include freshness indicators that leverage technologies like time-temperature indicators and gas sensors to provide details of the freshness and quality of the product.

Continued technological advancements, increased consumer awareness, and the development of cost-effective, sustainable materials will see the markets for active, smart, and intelligent packaging grow significantly in the coming years.