Abstract

Consumer demand for mildly preserved, minimally processed, easily prepared, and ready-to-eat “fresher” foods—together with retail and distribution practices related to globalization, new consumer product logistics, new distribution trends (e.g., Internet shopping), automatic handling systems at distribution centers, and the stricter requirements regarding consumer health—pose major challenges for food quality and safety (Vermeiren et al. 1999; Sonneveld 2000; Yam et al. 2005; Llorens et al. 2012). A reduction in shelf life of foods as a result of microbial contamination leading to an increase in the risk of food-borne illness (Juneja and Sofos 2009) and lipid oxidation resulting in a chronic toxicity to human cellular materials (Davies 1995) are the major driving forces for innovation in food packaging. Active packaging (AP) technologies are being developed as a result of these driving forces (Suppakul et al. 2003). Moreover, food traceability is now a legal requirement, especially in the European Union. This establishes a chain of responsibility throughout the entire food supply chain. Consequently, there is great interest among the food industry, retailers, consumers’ rights watchdogs, and food safety–controlling bodies in developing accurate, cost-effective, rapid, reliable, noninvasive, and nondestructive methods or devices to evaluate real-time freshness of food products. An alternative concept to meet this requirement is the development of intelligent packaging (IP) (Nopwinyuwong et al. 2010). The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has issued the Scientific Status Summary to inform readers of innovations related to active and intelligent packaging (IP) materials (Brody et al. 2008). Pereira de Abreu et al. (2012) reviewed the literatures in accordance with the active and IP for the food industry. Anyway, this chapter will define both the terms “active packaging” and “intelligent packaging.” Possible technologies to apply for foods with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables in association with polymers in packaging applications will be discussed.