As interest in packaging materials that extend food shelf-life grows, Barry Park of the UK Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network explores the potential for using nanotechnology to help reduce food waste. Nanotechnology is enabling sensor packaging to incorporate cheap RFID tags, which are much smaller, flexible and can be printed on thin labels, increasing the tag's versatility and thus, enabling cheaper production. Researchers at the University of Strathclyde, UK have also been developing an oxygen-intelligent ink that is bleached colourless. On exposure to UV light, it will remain colourless until exposed to oxygen, indicating if a sealed packaged has been tampered with. A further development is an ink that has a delayed reaction to oxygen. This can show how long a package has been open, and therefore how long a product is safe to eat.
