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Modern packages think for themselves, remind us, extend shelf life, can be heated at the press of a button and influence our senses with their appearance, odour and feel – and some of them can even speak. What packages in the food sector are capable of today goes far beyond their original purpose of protecting foods.

Packages have to perform numerous feats simultaneously: meet the needs of marketing and sales, comply with safety and hygiene regulations, and satisfy such consumer requirements as sustainability and easier handling while keeping the cost of production, transport and storage low. Thanks to the very latest machines with highly automated sensor- and microprocessor-controlled drive technology, coupled with innovative materials that can be produced and disposed of sustainably, the packaging industry has succeeded in converting a 6,000-year-old idea into a modern high-tech product.

First and foremost: protection due to packaging
And yet the primary purpose of each package – that of protecting its contents during transport and storage – remains unchanged. Packages prevent contamination and damage and protect foods from harmful environmental influences such as light, oxygen and moisture. They provide protection from spoilage due to microorganisms and prevent the loss of flavour or vitamins.

Up to 1.3 billion tonnes of foods, says the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, are lost each year worldwide. In some cases, fresh goods spoil during transport, are not consumed in time or are deemed unsaleable because they fall short of the given standards. And often enough, still edible food is discarded by consumers because the sell-by date has expired.

For over six years now, this overall issue has been addressed by the SAVE FOOD initiative of the FAO, the environmental programme of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Messe Düsseldorf in cooperation with globally leading companies, organisations and research institutes. Their joint goal is to devise solutions to prevent food loss and wastage along the value chain. This involves making suitable infrastructure available, re-examining and modifying standa