ABSTRACT
The concept of active packaging started with a shift in the protection function of packaging from passive to active. Previously, primary packaging materials were considered as 'passive', meaning that they functioned only as an inert barrier to protect the product against oxygen and moisture. Recently, a host of new packaging materials have been developed to provide 'active' protection for the product. Active packaging has been defined as a system in which the product, the package, and the environment interact in a positive way to extend shelflife or to achieve some characteristics that cannot be obtained otherwise [2]. A multinational European study, Actipak has also defined it as a packaging system that actively changes the condition of the packed food to extend shelf life or to improve food safety or sensory properties, while maintaining the quality of the packaged food [3]. In this context, the function of active packaging technologies is related mostly to enhancing the protection of package and thus active packaging was placed above the protection function in Figure 15.1 to reflect this concept. This placement, however, does not prevent active packaging from performing other functions: a single active packaging device can provide several functions at the same time as will be seen later in this chapter.
