Active service

If you thought active packaging was a relatively new concept then you couldn't be further from the truth. Earliest evidence of active packaging actually dates back to around 2,500 BC in the process of mummification by the Eqyptians, who preserved the deceased using a combination of antimicrobial spices and herbs and airtight containers. And their influence is still being felt today.

When it comes to active packaging many companies still use the rudimentary principles used by the Eqyptians, says Professor Per Vaeggemose Nielsen from the centre for microbial biotechnology at the Technical University of Denmark. What the Eqyptians knew 4,500 years ago is still shaping the way companies approach active packaging.

Now Danish company Neoplex, part of packaging company Frantschach, is taking active packaging to the next stage. It is developing new technology that will help companies across Europe create products that are more in tune with consumer requirements.

Nielsen's definition of active packaging is something that actively changes the condition of the food, either to extend life or to improve safety and sensory properties, while maintaining quality. Working with Neoplex, he has helped the company develop a range of packaging that does exactly that.

Neoplex, which makes a variety of food packaging films, has seen a boom in demand for active packaging; especially for convenience foods, says Niels Hermansen, company md. "We are now moving into the consumer preparation phase and demands by consumers are starting to increase," he says. "This is the way forward."

The first innovations to come from the company are NeoSteam and NeoCrisp, both designed to improve the quality of microwave frozen foods.

NeoSteam involves transferring classic pressure steaming to the microwave using a two-layer film that incorporates a patented VacSys valve system. The valve is created using a combination of polyester and polyethylene films which are glued together. When the glue is exposed to steam it dissolves, venting the steam and preventing the contents from overcooking and the bag from exploding.

According to Frantschach, because there is only limited steam release flavours are held inside the package and the food retains the desired texture. Food safety is also improved, as the closed packaging provides a more efficient heat kill of unwanted micro-organisms without compromising taste. "If you increase temperature you get the same quality but increased safety," says Nielsen. "The way you inactivate flavours are very different from the way you inactivate microbes. Colour and firmness are not lost when heated at higher temperatures."

Crispy product

NeoCrisp, on the other hand, works by raising the temperature of the product in certain areas to achieve crispiness. The packaging has a special inner laminate that contains a thin layer of aluminium which reflects microwaves and creates sufficient heat to make the product crispy. Because the laminate is combined with a paper packet, which allows moisture to escape, the product does not go soggy as with other microwaveable products.

The technology behind NeoCrisp also provides the opportunity for companies to make products with different textures. For example, Neoplex has recently developed a package for a pizza product, where the laminate is only applied to one side of packet. When microwaved, the pizza base becomes crispy but the toppings remain succulent.

Quality assurance manager Jan Matthiesen says that the company is even developing ways to alter the amount of aluminium in the laminate to control the amount of heat created. This packaging could create different levels of crispiness in a product, he says.

The fruits of Neoplex's labour are already being felt over here. Daloon Foods chose NeoCrisp for its range of microwaveable spring rolls in the UK and Steam Express microwave vegetables, from MDC Foods, which have just been launched over here, use the NeoSteam technology. And, with the UK one of the biggest markets for convenience foods in Europe, Neoplex expects more UK companies to come on board.

However, it does not stop there. Dan Johannessen, sales manager for Northern Europe, explains that the company's vision is to lead the way in active packaging. "We want to be the premium European supplier of active packaging," he says. "We are looking for active patent solutions that we can buy to corner the market for active packaging."

Neoplex has already outlined its next move, which is to develop better packaging for soups and sauces. It is working on a pouch for the microwave that uses a steam vent system and which provides faster cooking and better product quality.

The innovation is important, says Frantschach, as at present microwave soups have to either be dispensed into another container or a top has to be removed from the package. This means that scalding product could be easily spilled during preparation, especially in pouches which tend to spurt when held.

Neoplex has been working with Frantschach's flexible packaging plant in Vienna, and with a packaging company in Japan, to develop a stand up pouch that incorporates a modified version of the NeoSteam valve. The packaging is undergoing trials this month and Frantschach hopes to have a finished version ready by the end of the year.

Soup packaging poses a problem for steam venting as the product undergoes a post-package high temperature sterilisation process, says Hermansen. Frantschach, therefore, had to overcome the technical problem of creating a valve that would remain sealed during the retorting process but would vent when the soup is heated in the microwave at a lower temperature.

The company believes this problem can be overcome using a pressurised retort that creates an external pressure which matches that created in the pouch, keeping the valve intact. However, once in a non-pressurised microwave, the pouch will vent as usual.

Shelf-life extension

Packaging that can increase shelf-life is also being researched, and Neoplex is investigating whether it can incorporate antimicrobial ingredients in packaging to achieve this. Again working with Professor Nielsen it is experimenting with oils in films to increase the shelf-life of bread.

The antimicrobial properties of plants such as basil and Japanese wasabi have already been harnessed by some packaging companies, but Nielsen believes there is still room for improvement. As well as working with Frantschach he is a partner in Biopack, a European Union Fifth Framework programme, whose objective is to develop proactive bio-based packaging using oxygen scavengers and preservatives.

The project has initially been tackling the problem of improving the quality and safety of cheese and extending shelf-life, with the overall aim of increasing exports of cheese from Europe. If successful, the technology could apply to meat products, fruit and vegetables, bread and cakes.

Nielsen has also been working with dairy company Arla in Denmark, which is looking into packaging that will enable cheese to continue maturing on the shelf and that will enable consumers to buy cheese at many different strengths.

Technology such as that may be far away, but it is undoubtedly coming. The steam vent soup pouch could be available by the end of the year, says Frantschach, and it has already been in talks with major European soup manufacturers, including UK companies.

As Nielsen says: "The use of active packaging is the most important technological step in the direction of improved food quality and safety. [It] will play a major role in future packaging concepts."FM