Antimicrobial Active Packaging
Identifying and prioritizing active-film material stacks for a global food-packaging converter that can be certified for dairy and fresh-produce on existing extrusion lines.
Client
Global Food-Packaging Converter
Objective
Shortlist Certified Active-Film Solutions
Timeline
10-Week Program
Key Focus
Efficacy, Safety & Cost
The Challenge: Four Interlocking Hurdles to Adoption
Polymer films doped with antimicrobial agents can extend shelf life and cut food waste, but their adoption is slowed by four interlocking hurdles related to safety, performance, regulation, and cost.
Controlled-Release vs. Toxicity
Agents must migrate just enough to kill microbes yet stay below strict food-contact migration safety limits.
Thermal & Humidity Cycling
Films must maintain their efficacy and mechanical integrity throughout the entire cold chain, from -25°C to 30°C.
Regulatory Maze
Active agents like silver, plant extracts, and nano-oxides face different, complex rules across FDA, EFSA, and other global bodies.
Cost & Converting Compatibility
Additives must be compatible with existing high-speed extrusion lines and add less than $0.12 per square meter to the film cost.
Our Approach: A 5-Phase Program from Scan to Roadmap
Our 10-week sprint was designed to rapidly move from a broad landscape scan of 48 material stacks to a prioritized list of pilot-ready solutions, incorporating lab-performance profiling, process modeling, and compliance assessments.