Packaging Digest is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

See All Food & Beverage »

See All Pharma & Medical »

See All Machinery & Automation »

See All Trends & Issues »

What’s become apparent over the past decade is the critical need to reduce food waste by improving food preservation and protection in safe, cost-effective ways.

That’s an opportunity to leverage emerging options in nanotechnology for food packaging that can reduce food and packaging waste. According to a forthcoming Future Market Insights report, nanotechnology used in food packaging is expected to increase 15% yearly from 2023 to 2033 driven by developments in material science and technology.

Nanotechnology is not new, and in fact was first introduced by Richard Feynman in 1959, though the term was first coined in 1974 by Norio Taniguchi.

Nanotechnology is defined as molecules in the range of one to 100 nanometers; for example, 100 nanometers is 0.0000039 inches.

The technology deals with nano-systems and nanomaterials, the latter of which are classified into three categories — nanofibers, nanoparticles, and nanoplates. Nanotechnology has application in numerous markets including packaging, nano-electronics, biomedical, security sensors, paints, textile, cosmetics, medical and healthcare, paper, construction, explosives and weapons, and lubricants among others.

There are various nanomaterials that are appropriate in this market including titanium nitride nanoparticle, silver nanoparticle and nano-zinc oxide, nano-clay and nano-titanium dioxide. These act as functional additives for food packaging. One of the most promising uses of the technology is in active packaging, which is packaging is designed to stop the growth of microbes once the packaging is opened by the customer. Available options include rewrapping with an active portion of the package.

Nanotechnology driven food packaging market has been categorized as follows:

Food packaging science expert Claire Sand, owner of Packaging Technology and Research, notes that nanoparticles can assist the barrier properties of food packaging by lengthening the torturous path of particles at the molecular level.

“It enhances a barrier by slowing diffusion and increasing the tortuous path that migrants such as water or oxygen need to travel,” she says. “It can be accomplished while staying within additive limits required for food safety and recyclability.

"This can reduce the amount of additive material needed versus a laminated sheet or coextrusion while adding barrier and strength. It’s especially advantageous when it reduces material costs.”

Sand provides a specific example whereby “a PET/foil laminate can be replaced with high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/linear-low-density PE coextrusion with silica nanofibers to maintain dead fold and barrier properties.”

Packaging with nano-sensors is helpful to identify internal and external conditions of food, and containers throughout the supply chain. Also, in plastic packaging, nano-sensors can detect gases in food when it spoils hereby the packaging changes color to alert the consumer.

In another method, antimicrobial additives and nano-sensors for smart packaging can detect spoilage of food and release nano-antimicrobials to extend shelf life. That helps supermarkets and hypermarkets to keep food fresh for longer period.

“For instance, the nano-sensor could alert the presence of carbon dioxide, which is one of the by-products of microbial growth,” Sand explains.

She also points to another use of nanotechnology in these markets. “Nanoparticles can provide covert battery sources to power intelligent packaging.”

On a related note and according to the FMI analyst, other options include so-called electronic noses, nano-cantilevers, array biosensors, nano-test strips, and nanoparticles in solution.

These insights are based on a report Nanotechnology for the Food Packaging Market by Future Market Insights that will be released in May.

More information about text formats

In today’s workplace, five generations are actively employed. In this free ebook, learn how to leverage the strengths of each generation in your packaging department.