Active Packaging a Safer Way for Fresh Product

Active Packaging refers to the packaging systems used with foods, pharmaceuticals, and several other types of products. Active packaging helps in increasing shelf life, improves safety, improves convenience, helps in monitoring, the freshness of food, helps in displaying helpful information about the product, etc. The active Packaging market is growing due to an increase in demand for packaged food. Ready to eat food like chopped and packaged fruits and vegetables are employing active packaging to a great extent. Technology advancement in active packaging is making these segments more affordable. Active packaging helps in absorbing odor, gases, dripping liquids, controlling humidity, increasing its application. Active packaging can be in the form of absorbent sachets and can even be present within the packaging material. The choice of active packaging material depends on the requirement needed to be met according to the product to be preserved.

The Active Packaging Market is segmented by Packaging Technology, by Application, and geography.  Segmentation by packaging technology is by Oxygen Scavengers, moisture controllers, antimicrobial agents, UV Blocking, and others. Segmentation on the basis of Application is by Food & Beverages, Pharmaceutical and Healthcare, Electronics Products, Consumer Care, and Others.

Active Packaging Market, By Technology and Application

Oxygen Scavengers

Oxygen scavengers are packaging films or devices that chemically react with oxygen to remove them from the packaging environment. This helps in protecting the food from degradative oxidation reactions. They maintain product safety and extend shelf life. Oxygen scavenger is often enclosed in a porous sachet or packet but it can also be part of packaging films and other structures.

Moisture Control

Moisture control is a hygroscopic substance that is used to induce or sustain a state of dryness. It is mostly found in porous sachets which are placed inside a sealed package. They are used for reducing corrosion of machinery and electronics and to extend the shelf life of moisture sensitive foods and drugs.

Anti-Microbial Agent

Antimicrobial agents are used in packaging as a packaging system that adds active ingredients and uses actively functional polymers in the packaging system for killing or inhibiting spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms that may contaminate food. The antimicrobial agent is effective in extending shelf life, preserving quality, and ensuring microbial safety of fresh and minimally processed produce. Antimicrobial agents are applied in packaging by sachets placed inside packaging, packaging films, and edible coatings incorporating active antimicrobial substances.

Food and Beverages

Rising per capita incomes and living standards is leading to the rising demand for ready-to-eat foods, processed food and pet foods combined with consumer growing preference for convenient packaging solutions drives the active packaging market growth in the food packaging industry. The rising demand for bottled water, pouches for drinks and juices combined with consumer growing preference for to-go-products drives the active packaging market growth in the beverage packaging industry.

Pharmaceutical and Healthcare 

Pharmaceutical and Healthcare require active packaging for increasing shelf life, improves safety, improves convenience, helps in monitoring, protecting medicine from getting obsolete faster, helps in displaying helpful information about the product, etc. An increasing number of chronic disease patients and rising demand for OTC drugs is driving the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector. Owing to strict regulations regarding the packaging of drugs and medical devices, the packaging solution providers are increasingly investing in active packaging solutions in order to increase the efficiency of drugs and medicines.

Active Packaging Market, By Geography

The Americas region dominates the global active packaging market owing to the presence of major players, and the early adoption of these packaging solutions by enterprises and consumers alike in the major countries such as the U.S. and Canada. The rising number of disease cases is creating the need for efficient packaging solutions that can assist in meeting the requirement of reduced wastage and assist in controlling the disease outbreaks. The market is driving due to the presence of major players in conjunction with the growing demand for sustainable food packaging.

Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) is the second-largest active packaging market with a share of over 30% in 2018. In EMEA Germany is the biggest active packaging market followed by The United Kingdom and France respectively. The presence of large retail chains, well-established consumer base, and stable economic outlook are some of the factors contributing to the active packaging market growth. The impact of Brexit remains to be seen, but considering the overall economic scenario to be constant or fluctuate with slight variation, the demand for active packaging solutions will grow over the forecast period.

The Asia Pacific region to witness the fastest growth in the active packaging market due to rising opportunities for active packaging solution providers over the next six years. Key players for active packaging market are China, India, Australia, and Japan. An increasing number of applications across pharmaceutical, electrical and electronics, and consumer care sector is driving force for the active packaging market. In conjunction with the rapid urbanization and a growing number of working women joining the workforce is increasing the demand in the forecast period. Japan is one of the biggest economies in the world by GDP witnesses a high consumption of packaged products. Active packaging market growth in the country is significantly driven by the stringent regulatory framework for food packaging materials. The Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) packaging and stringent food safety regulation are primarily driving the active packaging market in China and India.

Acquisitions and Investments in Active Packaging Market: –

• In May 2019, Amcor Limited and Bemis Company Inc. merged of these both companies after getting regulatory clearance from the US Department of Justice. According to deal, Amcor has to sell certain assets located in the United States to Tekni-Plex Inc.
• In December 2018, Amcor opened a new home-care packaging site in India as a part of a seven-year agreement with Unilever signed in 2017.