Discover your next big idea at PACK EXPO Las Vegas this September
Experience a breakthrough in packaging & processing and transform your business with solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries.
REGISTER NOW & SAVE

Nanotech and food

Nanotechnology holds great promise in the food packaging arena.

Pw 6406 Cal Poly Packaging Logo

Lightweighting, improved recyclability, strength improvement, monolayer structures with multilayer capabilities, improved barrier properties against environmental factors, increased shelf life, encoding or decorating individual surfaces, counterfeit protection, smart substrates that can sense and signal food contamination or spoilage within or outside a package—these are among the possibilities nanotechnology offers. No wonder one study suggests that the U.S. nanomaterial market, which totaled only $125 million in 2000, is expected to reach $1.4 billion in 2008 and to exceed $30 billion by 2020.

The importance of this technology among researchers from industry and academia was evident at the recently concluded 16th International Association of Packaging Research Institutes (IAPRI) World Conference on Packaging. Held in Bangkok, it featured presentations by some of the most dynamic researchers from around the world. No less than 30 presentations and posters at the conference discussed nanotechnology-based materials, including:

Annual Outlook Report: Workforce
Hiring remains a major challenge in packaging, with 78% struggling to fill unskilled roles and 84% lacking experienced workers. As automation grows, companies must rethink hiring and training. Download the full report for key insights.
Download Now
Annual Outlook Report: Workforce
Annual Outlook Report: Automation & Robotics
What's in store for CPGs in 2025 and beyond? <i>Packaging World</i> editors explore the survey responses from 118 brand owners, CPG, and FMCG <i>Packaging World</i> readers for its new Annual Outlook Report.
Download
Annual Outlook Report: Automation & Robotics