The report published in August, 2006 by Europe-based PackWire.com, referenced Breaking News on Packaging Technologies & Markets with the headline, “Convenience & Safety Driving Smart Packaging Market”. The following excerpts are those that PackWire.com culled from a published relevant industry forecast & report supporting the headline.
1. “Smart Packaging … will grow to an $8.8 billion market in 2013 from the current $160 million. Radio Frequency Devices (RFID) [will be] one of the future’s market-driving technologies. SIRA note: industry and scientific tenet relates that RFIDs cannot monitor through liquid, an element consistently in abundance in cold chain dependent product. They are also considered to now be, and likely to remain, too expensive for food line item (individual package) monitoring.
2. “Other kinds of smart labels serve as time-temperature indicators (TTIs). The technology is finding increasing use in supply chains for foods that are highly temperature sensitive.
3. “Among the smart packaging solutions for freshness, TTIs are expected to witness the sharpest growth in sales in the next five years. TTI manufacturers will need to work to bring down cost and increase consumer awareness to make the technology viable. SIRA NOTE: The Food Sentinel System™ will be a one to three penny item, much less costly than any other TTI.
4. “‘But there is also the issue of the optimal integration of TTIs into the existing supply chains and distribution channels, and of the accuracy of the TTIs themselves.’
5. “Current TTI providers include Bioett, Timestrip, KSW Microtec, Infratab TempTime, Information Mediary, 3M and Vistab.
6. "’Only printing can deliver sophisticated electronic capabilities to packaging at a price that makes next generation (TTIs) economically viable’.
7. “Thermochromic inks will be used to show when an optimal or dangerous temperature has been reached.” SIRA NOTE: our thermochromic inks are irreversible and emerge magenta in color when temperature abuse occurs. The ink is chemically engineered to enable print press production in a room temperature environment, then activated when applied to product after it enters the cold chain.
