As of July 1st the program “Innovative Smart Materials and Sensors for Packaging of Raw and Processed Food Products” has taken off. The program is a collaboration between M2i, seven innovative companies in the packaging and food industry (Ardagh, Avery Dennison, Douwe Egberts, Heineken, Oerlemans Plastics, Peijnenburg and Yparex) and the Technical Universities of Twente, Delft and Eindhoven together with Wageningen University & Food and Biobased Research (WFBR). The consortium is coordinated by M2i and WFBR and aims to deliver improved packaging concepts to prevent global food waste.
The work packages evolve around the following themes:
- Improving the barrier and antimicrobial properties of bio-based and biodegradable packaging plastics
- Improved sealing and closing mechanisms for plastic packages as well as metal caps with plastic inlays
- The development of low-cost optical sensors that can be used for early detection of food spoilage
In the final stage of the program the results will be integrated into a tool that can be used by the industrial partners for the design of their packaging concept of the future.
This program is part of the TKI-crossover program “High Tech to Feed the World” and receives subsidy from the Topsectors AgriFood and HTSM.
For more information about the program, please contact Harald Kerp.