We use smart technology to label the packaging and let the packaging do what we have to do for it in the past. For example, coding dates, telling us where they are in the supply chain, showing the state of perishable food in the package, and more, changing the gas density of the package to adjust the environment inside the package for perishable foods. In the past, we usually put a shelf period on the bag, and the smart bag can tell us whether the shelf life has arrived. The color change of the printing ink on the label can warn the consumer if the heating temperature of the food in the microwave oven is appropriate. The film controlled by temperature change can control the balance of oxygen/carbon dioxide in the package and extend the shelf life.
These are just a few of the smart packaging applications. Unresolved RFID technology Everyone is talking about RFID tags, and almost everyone is trying to do this. Wal-Mart's published rules require suppliers to label RFID tags on cartons and pallets starting this year. Many manufacturers have begun to explore and have adopted some forms of RFID systems. Then, many just stop trying. Label processors, code reading system suppliers and labeling machine suppliers claim that the technology has a success rate of around 90%, but the research results of many professionals in the industry show that the technology is currently successful. The rate is only 30%. According to the US Freedonia Group, the United States requires that by 2007, the total sales of intelligent labels will reach 460 million US dollars, an increase of 14 percentage points, the most effective of which is the RFID tag part.
Technology, materials and equipment will continue to advance. At present, the focus is on the label, which will be transferred to the film in the future. Labels are currently used to track the trend of products in the supply chain, and in the future, labels will be used to carry and report on various data. This is something we can't imagine now. Application Challenges The biggest problem facing RFID tags today is the fragility of small chips and antennas. With a little bit of damage, the label will fail. There is a possibility of damage to the label in assembly, printing, and labeling. This damage refers not only to physical damage, but also to damage to the chip information caused by various electrostatic discharges. This is why the RFID labeler must be equipped with an inspection device to remove the damaged label and check the validity of the code. Vendors have several different approaches to solving this problem. Avery Dennison's 64-05 labeling machine can print RFID tags at the speed of normal label processing, program RFID chips in the tags, and print various data using thermal transfer technology. The 64-05 uses the “bounce-and-transfer” technology to automatically move the print head onto the chip without causing damage to the chip. Appleton uses Smart Strate technology to physically and electrostatically protect the chip. The Smart Strate is a labeling material that contains a small bag for loading chips, measuring the printed surface of the label, and cushioning the damage that can be caused by various impacts. Smart Strate can also be coated with a special coating to avoid any static electricity.
Precisia, a division of Flint Ink, uses metal ink to print the tag's antenna, making it more flexible and more suitable for substrates. The chip is still relatively thick, hard and vulnerable.
Today, RFID is mainly used for labels on cartons and pallets, so the labeling surface is relatively flat. Flexible packers are waiting to see if the technology can be used in flexible bags, sleeve labels and other various forms of flexible packaging. It is currently difficult to predict whether RFID technology can be used for forming/filling/sealing.
Starting with chemistry, RFID is the representative of intelligent packaging technology. It is very helpful in tracking goods, inventory management and improving recall efficiency, which is very attractive to all manufacturers. Innovations in chemistry will benefit more of the soft packers. The following are two current application examples. The Intelmer liner developed by Apio will keep the produce fresh and replace the ice that had to be used. Intelmer liner technology uses a pressure sensitive membrane that automatically adjusts the oxygen/carbon dioxide balance in the sealed carton. This gas permeable film is coated on one side with a side chain recrystallized polymer. As the temperature changes, even if the change is very small, the film will adjust the gas density. When the temperature rises, the vegetables need more breathing, and the film releases more oxygen and carbon dioxide. This technology effectively extends the shelf life of vegetables with high respiration rates such as broccoli, up to 17 days. Not recently adopted by Chiquita Brands International for packaging bananas.

Bioett AB of Sweden has developed a TTB technology (Time Temperature Biosensor) that monitors the packaging conditions of perishable products in the supply chain. Its core technology is the use of biosensor tags, which have a passive radio frequency circuit. Biosensors react to changes in temperature and time and increase the intensity of the signal. With a portable scanner, signals can be saved and selected, and graphically displayed as temperature changes to help the operator control the computer. This technology is very cost effective and can effectively manage the quality of the product in the supply chain. The use of special chemical materials for new chemical materials is one way of intelligent packaging. For example, thermochromic inks can only be developed under certain temperature conditions. Manufacturers can print information that consumers must know under certain temperature conditions. For example, sugar maple juice is heated in a microwave oven. After reaching a certain temperature, the word “hot” is displayed on the package, so that the consumer can understand it at a glance. In addition, there is an ink that can be displayed at a low temperature to prevent the product from being frozen. These smart packaging benefits not only consumers but the entire supply chain from warehouse to store shelves. Packaging with special inks can always remind workers that the temperature of the cold chain is appropriate, and the cost of the ink is not high, but it can help improve the efficiency of the quality control system, especially for temperature-sensitive foods. The time-temperature indicator (TTI) is a sensory mechanism that utilizes the principles of chemical reactions, including polymerization, enzymatic reactions, diffusion, melting points, and the like. Just as the fruit matures, it will change color, and then it will rot, giving off an unpleasant smell. The deterioration of the food can also be displayed on the change of the color of the package by the principle of chemical reaction. In other words, the package can automatically display its shelf life. In France, this technology has been put into commercial use, with more than 140 products applied to it. Using the sensory mechanism, it is also possible to monitor the oxygen content of the package and the air tightness of the package. The chemical sensor is placed on the side of the product inside the package and is colored with UV light after packaging. Chemical changes in the product within the package will change the color originally set.
Toxin Alert Canada has developed another way to use color. The company coats food packaging films with specific antibodies to certain pathogens. These antibodies also have some staining ingredients that tell consumers whether they contain pathogens in their packaging. There is also a polymer which combines two layers of a film containing pores, one of which is coated with a layer of functional polymer which swells upon acid and the other layer expands with alkali. Once the pH of the product in the package changes, the film expands or contracts accordingly, using a pump to adjust the pH. Prospects Smart flexible packaging is not an instant commercial application, but this era is slowly approaching us. Just like any other kind of transformation, it walks slowly toward us and constantly explores between efficiency and cost. At present, we may still have some resistance to the adoption of RFID technology. Some manufacturers even put the label on the carton before the cargo arrives on the ship, but this is definitely not the concept of smart packaging. The value of tracking goods in the supply chain is obvious, especially for downstream packaging lines. Real application of RFID can track and record inventory information, and collect the operation of the packaging line, upstream packing situation.
All innovations in smart packaging are like this. On the surface, smart packaging benefits dealers, retailers and consumers. In fact, smart packaging benefits everyone who uses it. Market research shows that consumers like convenient, safe, self-protecting packaging.