The Latest Frontiers of Packaging

LIVE WEBINAR, May 14th, 2025

How digitalisation, eco-design and food-contact safety are reshaping the future of food packaging

Food packaging has moved far beyond its original role as a container. In modern food systems, it is a technological interface between product, process, logistics, regulation and consumer experience. It protects food, extends shelf life, supports distribution, communicates information, enables automation, reduces waste and increasingly carries the responsibility of demonstrating environmental performance.

The FoodTech Village webinar The Latest Frontiers of Packaging explored this evolution from several complementary points of view. Moderated by Rossella Contato, the session brought together industrial machinery, flexible packaging, academic research and exhibition perspectives to examine how packaging is being transformed by artificial intelligence, eco-design principles, recyclable materials, food-contact safety requirements and regulatory pressure.

The webinar’s underlying message was clear: packaging innovation cannot be reduced to replacing one material with another. The future of packaging will depend on how well the industry integrates performance, sustainability, safety, digital technologies and end-of-life management across the whole value chain.

Packaging as a strategic component of the food system

The session opened with a reflection on how profoundly packaging has changed over recent decades. What was once mainly a protective container has become a multi-functional system. It must preserve food quality, guarantee shelf life, protect consumers, support logistics, provide information and meet increasingly strict environmental requirements.

Food industry development is inseparable from packaging development. Without packaging, current models of production, distribution and consumption would be impossible. Fresh food, convenience products, beverages, ready meals, modified-atmosphere products, export goods and e-commerce distribution all depend on packaging technologies that balance protection and accessibility.

Yet packaging now faces growing tension. On one side, the market demands convenience, safety, shelf life, transparency, efficiency and visual impact. On the other, regulators and consumers demand lower environmental impact, recyclability, reduced material consumption and safer food-contact systems. This tension creates the real frontier of packaging innovation.

The webinar approached the topic through four major areas: smart and AI-enabled packaging lines, sustainable flexible packaging based on eco-design, chemical safety in recycled and reused food-contact materials, and the role of industry fairs in connecting technological innovation with the market.

Smart machinery and the digital packaging line

The first contribution, from SMI Group, focused on AI-based packaging line design, efficiency and energy savings.

Packaging machinery has become one of the most visible expressions of Industry 4.0 in food and beverage manufacturing. SMI’s presentation showed how modern bottling and packaging lines are no longer isolated mechanical units, but connected systems capable of collecting, sharing and analysing data across the entire line.

The company’s evolution reflects broader industry trends. Starting from machinery for secondary packaging, SMI expanded into PET stretch blow moulding, palletising and full bottling-line integration. More recently, the development of electronic blowers and the Ergon series highlighted the shift towards more ergonomic, digitally connected and energy-efficient machines.

Sustainability appears here not only as a material issue, but as an engineering principle. Energy-saving solutions are applied throughout the line: reduced consumption in ovens used to heat preforms, ceramic panels that retain heat, mould designs that allow air to escape more efficiently, and air recovery systems capable of reducing compressor energy demand. These are not minor optimisations. In high-volume beverage production, compressed air, heat and motion represent major cost and environmental variables.

Digital tools are also changing how machinery is designed, presented and maintained. SMI’s virtual showroom allows customers to explore complete bottling-line configurations remotely, accessing videos, information and machine details. This reflects a wider trend toward digital customer experience in B2B manufacturing, where demonstration, configuration and technical support increasingly move into interactive environments.

From automation to predictive maintenance

The most important shift described by SMI is the move from automated machinery to intelligent, data-driven systems.

Through IoT platforms, each machine can monitor its status, performance, alarms, downtime, power consumption and operating conditions. Data from single machines can be integrated into a line-level supervisor, providing a complete picture of production performance. KPIs such as availability, efficiency, alarms and mean time to repair become visible and analysable.

This enables a different relationship between supplier and customer. Instead of waiting for a machine fault to be reported, the manufacturer can identify underperforming machines, compare operating patterns and contact customers proactively. In some cases, the source of inefficiency may not even be the machine itself, but upstream or downstream issues in the line. Data makes this visible.

Predictive maintenance is one of the clearest benefits. By collecting telemetry and crossing data from sensors, alarms and operating parameters, artificial intelligence can help identify when a component is likely to fail or when extraordinary maintenance is required before a breakdown occurs.

This approach changes the economic logic of packaging machinery. Maintenance is no longer only scheduled according to manuals or performed after faults. It becomes a preventive, data-informed process designed to reduce downtime, improve productivity and extend equipment life.

SMI also presented AI-supported service tools such as chatbots, multilingual assistance and augmented-reality support. While chatbots are already familiar in many sectors, their integration into packaging machinery service reflects a new phase for industrial support: faster responses, continuous availability and better access to technical knowledge.

Sustainable packaging design: beyond material reduction

The second major contribution, from Nicola Fantini of ITP, focused on flexible packaging and eco-design.

Eco-design was defined as a development approach aimed at minimising environmental impact across the entire life cycle of a product, from raw-material selection to end of life. This is a crucial distinction. Sustainable packaging cannot be evaluated only by looking at the material used. It must be assessed through functionality, food preservation, recyclability, carbon footprint, process compatibility and recovery systems.

The evolution of packaging R&D has moved through several stages. In the past, development often focused on cost saving, functionality and production efficiency. Later, light-weighting and downgauging became important sustainability strategies. Today, the central themes are recyclability, circularity and lower greenhouse-gas emissions.

The presentation challenged an overly simplistic anti-plastic narrative. Flexible plastic packaging is often criticised, but its greenhouse-gas contribution must be considered relative to other materials and to the food it protects. Material production is a major source of emissions globally, but plastic is only one part of that picture. More importantly, packaging plays a critical role in reducing food waste, which itself carries a major environmental cost.

This leads to one of the most important conclusions of the webinar: the most sustainable packaging is not necessarily the packaging that uses the least material. It is the packaging that achieves the best balance between material impact, food protection and end-of-life recovery.

Food waste as carbon waste

One of the strongest messages from ITP’s presentation was that food waste must be central to any serious sustainability assessment.

Barrier films, moisture protection and oxygen control can extend the shelf life of food and reduce spoilage along the supply chain. This is particularly important for products such as meat, cheese, ham, fresh produce and modified-atmosphere packaging applications. If reducing packaging material leads to higher food waste, the environmental balance may worsen rather than improve.

This is why functional packaging remains essential. High-barrier structures, anti-fog properties, sealing performance and mechanical resistance all contribute to preserving food. The problem is not functionality itself, but how to deliver it in a way that is more recyclable, lighter and better aligned with circular-economy goals.

The upcoming European regulatory framework, especially the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, is pushing this transformation. By 2030, packaging will need to be recyclable, and minimum recycled-content requirements will become increasingly relevant. This means eco-design is moving from a voluntary approach to a mandatory development principle.

For packaging producers, this is a major technical challenge. Films must maintain performance while becoming easier to recycle. Multi-material structures must be rethought. Barrier properties must be preserved with lower complexity. And the entire supply chain must collaborate to ensure that packaging designed as recyclable can actually be collected, sorted and recycled.

Flexible films and the search for circularity

ITP presented several examples of this transition, including its “Three Flex” project based on triple-bubble extrusion technology. The aim is to produce highly technical, multi-layer barrier films that can replace glue-laminated multi-material structures commonly used as top-lidding films.

The logic is clear: avoiding lamination reduces process complexity, eliminates glue, reduces material use and can improve recyclability. Very thin films, down to around twenty microns, can still deliver transparency, mechanical performance, sealing properties, oxygen barrier, anti-fog and UV functionality depending on application needs.

The applications include ham, meat, cheese, modified-atmosphere packaging and other food products requiring reliable barrier performance. The presentation highlighted the replacement of standard laminated structures with thinner alternatives capable of reducing plastic use while maintaining performance.

Other sustainable solutions included mono-polyethylene films for frozen-food packaging, some certified industrially compostable films, surface-protection films without glue, high-barrier stand-up pouch films with EVOH below specific thresholds, films supporting cardboard trays by replacing rigid plastic components, collation shrink films with post-consumer recycled content and bio-based or bio-circular polyethylene structures certified under relevant schemes.

The key message was not that one solution will solve everything. The packaging future will be plural. Different products, supply chains and end-of-life systems will require different material strategies.

Collaboration across the packaging chain

A recurring theme in the eco-design presentation was collaboration.

Packaging producers cannot achieve circularity alone. Machinery manufacturers must ensure compatibility with new materials. Brand owners must accept design changes and align packaging choices with recyclability goals. Retailers must support new formats. Recyclers must be able to process the materials. Regulators must provide clear criteria. Consumers must dispose of packaging correctly.

Eco-design increases in value when it is applied across the full chain. A recyclable film that cannot run on packaging machinery is not viable. A lightweight structure that compromises shelf life is not sustainable. A material that is theoretically recyclable but not accepted by local recycling systems creates confusion. A barrier solution that preserves food but disrupts recycling must be redesigned.

This is why the webinar presented flexible packaging not as an enemy of sustainability, but as a powerful ally if properly designed. The challenge is to move away from generic material debates and toward evidence-based design.

Sustainable is not automatically safe

The third technical perspective, presented by Ziynet Boz from the University of Florida and Packaging Technology and Research, focused on food-contact safety in reused and recycled materials.

As demand for sustainable packaging grows, so does the market value of solutions labelled as recyclable, reusable, refillable or made with recycled content. Consumers want these solutions, brand owners promote them and regulations increasingly require them. But sustainability claims cannot override food safety.

A central message of this presentation was direct: green does not automatically mean safe.

Recycled and reused materials may contain hundreds of chemicals. Some are intentionally added, such as plasticisers or flame retardants. Others may be residues, impurities or degradation by-products. In food-contact applications, these substances can become relevant if they migrate into food. Chemicals of concern may include endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, persistent environmental pollutants or substances whose risk profile is not fully understood.

This is especially complex because terminology varies. “Chemicals of concern”, “substances of concern”, “hazardous chemicals”, “priority chemicals” and similar expressions may be used in different contexts. Scientific understanding evolves, regulations vary and supply chains change. This makes due diligence essential.

Brands using recycled content must therefore perform chemical inventories, migration testing and supply-chain verification. Recycled-content claims are not enough. Safety must be demonstrated.

PFAS, microplastics and the complexity of food-contact materials

The presentation paid particular attention to PFAS and microplastics as examples of growing concern.

PFAS may appear in packaging through grease-resistant coatings, barrier treatments, fluorinated materials or contamination from production environments. Microplastics may arise from material degradation, handling, production equipment or packaging formats. These risks do not always come from obvious sources, and they may involve primary, secondary or tertiary packaging.

Reuse introduces another layer of complexity. A reusable packaging system may be designed for a specific food-contact scenario, but real-world use can expose layers or surfaces not intended for food contact. Cleaning, refilling, transport and prior use may change risk profiles. Compostable packaging also requires attention because standards, degradation conditions and residues must be considered.

A case study from Vermont illustrated how detailed risk assessments can identify many potential sources of PFAS and microplastics across packaging materials and production equipment. The goal is not to create panic, but to map risks and develop targeted mitigation strategies.

The practical conclusion is that sustainable packaging requires three levels of assurance: essential compliance, enhanced testing and proactive screening. The more ambitious the sustainability claim, the more robust the verification system must become.

Packaging innovation as an industry ecosystem

The final presentation broadened the discussion by introducing IPACK-IMA 2025 as a reference exhibition for packaging and processing technologies. This part of the webinar connected the technical themes discussed earlier with the industrial ecosystem where innovations are presented, compared and adopted.

The fair was described as a platform covering packaging, processing, materials, digital transformation, sustainability and cross-sector technologies. With more than a thousand exhibitors, international participation, selected buyers and a broad programme of events, IPACK-IMA positions itself not only as a trade exhibition but also as a place for debate on regulation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, circular packaging, food safety and future business trends.

This matters because packaging innovation does not happen in isolation. Machinery producers, material suppliers, food companies, regulators, researchers and buyers need shared spaces to understand what is technically possible and commercially viable. The transition toward sustainable and digitally connected packaging will require not only new products, but also new forms of collaboration and knowledge exchange.

The exhibition’s focus on different business communities — food, fresh products, grain-based foods, liquid food and beverage, pharma, life sciences and general technologies — reflects the increasingly interconnected nature of packaging and processing. Many challenges are sector-specific, but the underlying drivers are common: automation, safety, traceability, sustainability, flexibility and efficiency.

Conclusion: packaging innovation must solve more than one problem

The webinar showed that the latest frontiers of packaging are not defined by a single technology. They are defined by the need to solve several problems at the same time.

Packaging lines must become more efficient, connected and predictive. Materials must become lighter, recyclable and compatible with circular-economy systems. Flexible packaging must continue to protect food while reducing environmental impact. Recycled and reused materials must be safe, not merely sustainable. Digital tools must support both production performance and customer service. Regulations must be anticipated, not only followed. And the industry must keep food waste at the centre of sustainability discussions.

This is the real complexity of packaging today. A solution that reduces plastic but increases food waste may not be sustainable. A recycled material that creates food-contact risks cannot be acceptable. A high-performance barrier film that cannot be recycled needs redesign. A smart packaging line that collects data but does not improve decisions adds little value. Innovation only matters when it improves the system as a whole.

Food packaging is therefore entering a new phase. It is becoming smarter, thinner, more traceable, more regulated and more closely connected to both sustainability and safety. The sector’s future will depend on its ability to integrate engineering, materials science, food technology, digital analytics and regulatory intelligence.

The package is no longer just the final layer around the product. It is part of the product’s quality, its environmental profile, its industrial efficiency and its relationship with the consumer. That is why the future of food technology cannot be separated from the future of packaging.