12 Novel food packaging techniques of food, authenticity, contents, use, and consumption-date expiration. It can also track a product in the food supply chain, be anti-theft and tamper proof. This book does not cover these technologies, however, some future aspects concerning them are dealt in the Chapter 25 2.4 Current use of novel packaging techniques In the USA, Japan and Australia, active and intelligent packaging systems are already being successfully applied to extend shelf-life or to monitor food quality nd safety. Despite this, regardless of intensive research and development work on active and intelligent packaging, there are only a few commercially significant systems on the market. Oxygen absorbers added separately as smal sachets in the package head-space or attached as labels into the lid probably have the most commercial significance in active food packaging nowadays Also, ethanol emitters/generators and ethylene absorbers are used, but to a lesser extent than oxygen absorbers. Other commercially significant active techniques include, e.g., absorbers for moisture and off-odour and absorbers/emitters for carbon dioxide. With regard to intelligent packaging, time temperature indicators and oxygen indicators are most used in those countries mentioned In Europe, only a few of these systems have been developed and are being applied. This lag compared to the USA, Japan and Australia is partly due toto the strict European regulations for food-contact materials that cannot keep up entirely with technological innovations and currently prohibit the application of many of these systems. In addition, exiguous knowledge about consumer acceptance, economic aspects and the environmental impact of these novel technologies and, particular, the exiguous knowledge of hard evidence of their effectiveness and safety demonstrated by independent researchers have inhibited commercial usage Furthermore, vacuum packaging and protective gas packaging(modified atmosphere packaging) have had an established position in many European countries since 1980. Vacuum packaging, gas packaging and active packaging compete with to each other, at least to some extent. However, all these technologies have their own advantages and disadvantages, and the best package technology should be selected according to individual requirements case by case Discussions between VTT Biotechnology and various parties in the food supply chain in Finland and also in other countries have shown that before telligent and active packaging systems can be launched in greater numbers onto the market, a demonstration of the function and benefits of these systems in the food supply chain is necessary. For this reason, VTT has just started a one- year project Demonstration of intelligent packaging as a tool for quality control in the food supply chainin Finland. The project is financed and supported by Tekes, the National Technology Agency of Finland, packaging companies and franchising groupsof food, authenticity, contents, use, and consumption-date expiration. It can also track a product in the food supply chain, be anti-theft and tamper proof.3 This book does not cover these technologies, however, some future aspects concerning them are dealt in the Chapter 25. 2.4 Current use of novel packaging techniques In the USA, Japan and Australia, active and intelligent packaging systems are already being successfully applied to extend shelf-life or to monitor food quality and safety. Despite this, regardless of intensive research and development work on active and intelligent packaging, there are only a few commercially significant systems on the market. Oxygen absorbers added separately as small sachets in the package head-space or attached as labels into the lid probably have the most commercial significance in active food packaging nowadays. Also, ethanol emitters/generators and ethylene absorbers are used, but to a lesser extent than oxygen absorbers. Other commercially significant active techniques include, e.g., absorbers for moisture and off-odour and absorbers/emitters for carbon dioxide. With regard to intelligent packaging, time temperature indicators and oxygen indicators are most used in those countries mentioned above. In Europe, only a few of these systems have been developed and are being applied. This lag compared to the USA, Japan and Australia is partly due to to the strict European regulations for food-contact materials that cannot keep up entirely with technological innovations and currently prohibit the application of many of these systems. In addition, exiguous knowledge about consumer acceptance, economic aspects and the environmental impact of these novel technologies and, in particular, the exiguous knowledge of hard evidence of their effectiveness and safety demonstrated by independent researchers have inhibited commercial usage.1 Furthermore, vacuum packaging and protective gas packaging (modified atmosphere packaging) have had an established position in many European countries since 1980. Vacuum packaging, gas packaging and active packaging compete with to each other, at least to some extent. However, all these technologies have their own advantages and disadvantages, and the best package technology should be selected according to individual requirements case by case.4 Discussions between VTT Biotechnology and various parties in the food supply chain in Finland and also in other countries have shown that before intelligent and active packaging systems can be launched in greater numbers onto the market, a demonstration of the function and benefits of these systems in the food supply chain is necessary. For this reason, VTT has just started a one￾year project ’Demonstration of intelligent packaging as a tool for quality control in the food supply chain’ in Finland. The project is financed and supported by Tekes, the National Technology Agency of Finland, packaging companies and franchising groups. 12 Novel food packaging techniques