A group of inventors has developed a series of tests that can be integrated into food packaging to indicate contamination, as discussed in their recent publication in Nature Reviews Bioengineering. These tests are designed to be cost-effective, adding only a few cents to each package, yet they face resistance from food producers wary of passing additional costs onto consumers. The tests form part of a proposed intelligent packaging system that, according to McMaster University researchers, could significantly mitigate the financial and reputational damages typically associated with foodborne illness outbreaks and drastically cut down on food waste.

The proposed technology holds immense potential to save the global economy hundreds of billions of dollars annually. By reducing the need for large-scale recalls, minimizing healthcare and associated costs from foodborne illnesses, and decreasing the amount of food unnecessarily discarded due to conservative expiration dates, it could revolutionize the food industry. Despite these compelling benefits, the implementation of such smart packaging would necessitate extensive changes to existing food regulations and packaging practices, changes that might encounter substantial resistance.

Tohid Didar, the paper’s lead author and a biomedical engineer and entrepreneur, emphasized the dilemma consumers face: the desire for safer food versus the reluctance to pay higher prices amidst already rising food costs. The paper argues for initiating dialogues among researchers, policymakers, corporations, and consumers to explore viable solutions to these challenges. While public agencies acknowledge the potential of this new technology and are keen to deploy it, the transition requires a comprehensive overhaul of current practices.

The researchers also critique the current practice of using ‘best before’ dates on perishable foods, which they claim is arbitrary and leads to significant food wastage. In Canada alone, approximately $40 billion worth of food is wasted each year, a figure that outstrips per capita food waste in the US and the UK. However, with the implementation of intelligent food packaging technology, this wastage could be significantly reduced, offering a glimmer of hope in the fight against food scarcity and the disposal of unused food and packaging.

Since 2018, the McMaster team has developed and validated various methods for detecting spoilage through packaging. These include Sentinel Wrap, a plastic wrap that changes colour when the food product inside spoils; a handheld device that provides real-time spoilage results; and Lab-on-a-package, a tiny, integrated test that signals when food has gone wrong. Additionally, they have created a sprayable, food-safe gel containing bacteriophages that target and eliminate bacteria responsible for food contamination.

Despite the proven efficacy of these innovations, transitioning from the lab to the market has presented challenges. However, the researchers are not alone in this journey. They are actively collaborating with industry partners and regulatory bodies, such as the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, to navigate these challenges and facilitate the adoption of these technologies. This collaborative approach ensures that the technology is developed and implemented in a way that benefits all stakeholders.

The shift from a calendar-based to a detection-based system for managing food freshness and safety represents a significant endeavour. Nonetheless, the paper’s authors are optimistic about the widespread benefits of such a shift, asserting that it is time to modernize our technology to reflect current capabilities in food safety management better.

More information: Shadman Khan et al, Smart food packaging commercialization, Nature Reviews Bioengineering. DOI: 10.1038/s44222-024-00190-5

Journal information: Nature Reviews Bioengineering Provided by McMaster University