Colour as the next step in tamper proofing food?
product has been tampered with or damaged.
The novel packaging concept is being developed by CSIRO, Australia's main scientific research body. With fears of bioterrorism increasingly comingto the fore in the public's mind and recent high-profile attempts at extortion, tamper proof sealing is becoming more important to the food industry.
Andrew Scully, a scientist at Food Science Australia told a conference in the country that the intelligent packaging method is based on irreversible colour changing dyes. Once a package is damagedor punctured the colour would change. He was speaking at the Passion 4 Food conference in Sydney and his comments were reported across Australia's media.
CSIRO is studying how to achieve the signalling through colour, either as an explosion of ink on the wrapper or through the dye reacting to the influx of moisture from outside.
Tamper evident banding assures packagers and processors that their product remains uncontaminated and undamaged.
About three million Mars and Snickers chocolate bars were recently recalled in Austrialia after manufacturer MasterFoods received a threatening letter claiming seven bars had been intentionallycontaminated within the Sydney area.
Dyes have been used by other merchandising sectors, especially garment retailers, to prevent the theft of items.
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