Summary

The active and intelligent packaging market was valued at USD 17.5 billion in 2020. It is expected to reach a value of USD 25.16 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 6.78% during the forecast period 2021-2026. For supply chain professionals in the food, pharmaceutical and other industries that deal in products with limited longevity and specific environmental requirements, waste reduction and increased efficiency is only becoming more critical which shows there is a clear interest in packaging that can maintain food freshness, both before and after opening, and also in more explicit on-pack messages about how to store food.

Key Highlights
In the United Kingdom, according to a study conducted by WRAP it is was concluded that 60% of household food waste arises from people not consuming edible goods in proper time. The answer even lies in the twofold approach of more effective branding and labeling. It allows consumers to understand better the shelf life of food and active and intelligent packaging innovations that help foodstuffs last longer.
Active and intelligent packaging includes anything from moisture reduction sachets and anti-microbial linings to allergen sensors and physical shock indicators. The upshot is that products, particularly perishables packaged in this way, provide greater transparency to both enterprises and consumers. Intelligent packaging solutions are widely being deployed by buyers in the pharmaceutical sector to improve the traceability of products. Such packages enable easy access to information about medicine through smartphone scanning.
In May 2020, EM Microelectronic, an Active and Intelligent Packaging Association (AIPIA) member supplying ultra-low-power semiconductors, part of the Swatch Group, with RFID development stretching back 30 years launched its enhanced product authentication dual-frequency RAINFC technology. It enables retailers and brands to offer their customers a holistic omnichannel experience, allowing them not only to purchase the products anytime, anywhere, but to interact with them throughout their life-cycle without compromising consumer privacy. Brands and retailers benefit from the combination of NFC with RAIN RFID in a single chip, making it a powerful all-in-one tool for supply chain management, consumer engagement, and product authentication.
In March 2020, A California hemp-based cannabidiol startup company, PearlCBD, operated by Origin Lab, is selling its products with ‘intelligent labels’ that uses Near Field Communication technology (NFC) in the delivery of information to its customers. The company began manufacturing and selling its goods this year, each with a unique ID number encoded on a passive NFC tag built into a label so that users can verify product authenticity before purchase and view lab test results regarding ingredients and other content.
With the outbreak of COVID-19, 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 facepiece respirators (N95 mask). In this disinfecting process, the N95 mask cover and a small strip of Aptar’s ActivShield are placed inside any available one-gallon plastic bag. The strip releases a significant amount of chlorine dioxide inside the sealed bag to decontaminate the mask. The process takes only three hours until the mask is ready to wear again. It can be performed on-site at the local hospital where the mask is being used.


Key Market Trends

Food to Account Significant Share


Every year, approximately one-third of the food the humans produce globally is wasted. According to the UN' Food and Agriculture Organisation, people throw away more than 1.3 billion tonnes of food intended for human consumption every 365 days. That represents more than USD 900 billion in losses and is more than twice in developed countries compared to developing nations. Reportedly, almost every year, consumers in rich countries waste almost as much food (222 million tonnes) as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (230 million tonnes). All these instances provide the reason for the continual development of smart and intelligent packaging in the food industry to keep its freshness intact.
In April 2020, 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 active for ten years, regardless of how many people come into contact with the product. The evolution of intelligent packaging systems, through the use of sensor technologies, indicators (including freshness, integrity, and time-temperature indicators, TTI), and radio frequency identification (RFID), has been assessed for the potential use in meat and meat products as well.
In March 2020, El Ordeño, one of Ecuador's leading dairy producers, announced a new solution to support the dairy industry in that country. It will use the blockchain-based technology to monitor its TRU milk products, which have been re-launched with original packaging featuring a QR code. By scanning the label with a smartphone, consumers can now access information about the path that the milk has traveled, including information about the producer as well as the quality centers, cold chains, and distribution centers the milk passed through on its way to the table.
In January 2020, AIMPLAS has launched the SafetySenseO2 project to develop a printed sensor with the capacity to detect the presence of oxygen inside the 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. Besides, the oxygen sensor will reportedly provide the consumer with information about the quality and safety of the food at all times, to reduce the risk of food poisoning.


Asia Pacific is Expected to Witness Significant Growth


AIPIA China Summit, which was held in July 2019, listed the advantages of active and intelligent packaging technologies for many Chinese manufacturing sectors. The program has been designed to explain China'sChina's needs for smart packaging and how the different technologies can be adapted to offer real value to the packaging sector. In India, some 40% of foodstuffs are wasted before reaching the market; all packaging is done at the processing stage. Most of it traps moisture, which causes the food to deteriorate rapidly, which requires active use and intelligent packaging.
In August 2019, The Old Kempton Distillery (OKD), located in Australia, was 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 expand its market share across Australia and around the world. The NFC solution, provided by AusNFC, employs HID Global'sGlobal's Trusted Tag solution to uniquely identify each bottle and deliver web-based content from OKD about the company and the products. Users can interact via their smartphone. Content can include videos, membership offers, and links to websites.
In June 2019, Nestlė'sNestlė's China operation was set to expand the amount of information traceable via Blockchain with a target to increase this inventory between 15 – 18% in 2020. Globally the company has announced plans to achieve ''full supply chain transparency''. In China, it adopted Blockchain on 50 products in 2018, mainly in nutritional and dairy categories. Additionally, it hopes to refine and expand the types of information that can be traced, offering consumers more relevant product information. From a customer's point of view, when he or she scans the QR code, the system tells them exactly where the product has been. It increases the level of legitimacy and trustworthiness because they can access that type of data and information.
The high level of counterfeit infant formula in China is a significant concern for those supplying this massive market with authentic and carefully regulated products. One of the world's top dairy producers, FrieslandCampina, has appointed long-standing AIPIA member Kezzler to provide global serialization and track & trace services for its FRISO range used extensively in the market. The codes are generated using Kezzler'sKezzler's patented encryption technology. For each unit of FRISO Gold, Prestige, or FRISOMUM, the first QR code is located under the can be used for track and trace purposes. A second QR code will be placed inside the product and provides a channel for direct consumer engagement, including loyalty programs and promotions.


Competitive Landscape

The active and intelligent packaging market is fragmented, with many players competing in the same space. The unstructured nature of the industry with very few significant players implies an intense rivalry between the smaller companies. Smaller firms are on the rise, with the aims of utilizing the high-growth potential of the market studied. Amcor Ltd, WestRock Company, Crown Holdings Inc., and Ball Corporation are some of the key players. These players are strategically expanding their presence in the existing as well as untapped markets.


February 2020 - Just months after signing a deal to acquire Smartrac’s transponder division, the company announced today the location of its next RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) manufacturing facility, first in Brazil and fifth in the world. The new factory will be located in Vinhedo (SP), opening in 2021. Avery Dennison partners with Impinj and NXP to develop world-class RFID tags and incorporates the latest chip technology into its packaging solutions.
October 2019 - Amcor Capsules and integrated solutions provider Toppan Printing have teamed up for a new NFC-enabled anti-counterfeiting system for wine and spirits. The new InTact capsule incorporates an NFC tag that detects opening or tampering, to prevent grey-market diversion and fraudulent refilling. The tag is discreetly integrated on the inside of the capsule, which allows alcoholic beverage manufacturers to adopt it without having to make drastic changes to filling and packaging processes.


Additional Benefits:

The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
3 months of analyst support

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