ZJ
Georgia State University
Gold colloids and amine-reactive polymers read biogenic amines off a strip.
In developmentUniversity
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Receive a weekly email digest of the latest smart packaging technologies added by the network.Browse 431 solutions in smart and active packaging on the Halo network
Updated Sept 29, 2026
Smart and active packaging covers a package that goes on doing something after it is sealed. On Halo, the solutions cover indicators and connected packaging, actives released into the pack, antimicrobials carried in the film, and microencapsulation and triggered release. Sign up to search the full network and post your specific need.
Indicators and connected packaging
ZJ
Pectin side streams become the carrier for a color-change indicator.
Co-developmentIn developmentUniversity
AR
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
Fluorescent carbon dots from citrus waste, for anti-counterfeiting print.
Sponsored researchIn developmentUniversity
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Liquid Beverage Company
QR and NFC in the pack turn a purchase into a channel the brand keeps.
Co-developmentIn developmentStartup
Actives released into the pack
VA
Sugar and yeast in a nonwoven ferment on stored moisture, releasing ethanol and CO2.
ConceptualUniversity
Volatile plant extracts trigger the produce's own defenses inside the pack.
In developmentStartup
Oxygen scavengers, moisture regulators and ethylene management in one system.
Co-developmentIn marketSupplier
Particle engineering that meters when a volatile compound comes out.
LicensingIn developmentSupplier
A UV-curable coating with GRAS components that manages moisture on contact.
Sponsored researchIn developmentStartup
Antimicrobials carried in the film
Nanox Tecnology S/A
Antimicrobial active packaging doubling the shelf life of fresh meat.
In market
SF
Black Atom Solutions
A 5-log kill in three seconds, still working after 160C.
Co-developmentIn marketStartup
TR
Wintermute Biomedical Inc.
An ammonium carboxylate salt from food-grade fatty and amino acids.
LicensingIn developmentSupplier
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Who is working on smart and active packaging
Organizations in smart and active packaging
Universities, startups, and suppliers with solutions in smart and active packaging.
Smart packaging companies
Innovators in smart and active packaging
Researchers and inventors advancing smart packaging technologies.
Smart packaging expertsAbout smart and active packaging
Two different promises sit on Halo under one name. Smart means reading the product, through colorimetric strips, color-change indicators and scannable packaging; active means dosing it, through scavengers, released volatiles and antimicrobials built into the film. Encapsulation is what the active side runs on. On Halo it spans four groups, including indicators and connected packaging, actives released into the pack, and antimicrobials carried in the film.
Stage of development. Work on smart and active packaging on Halo is split between university programs and companies. 37% of the solutions are in market. Co-development and sponsored research are the usual partnering routes, and about 51% of the solutions that state terms offer pilot engagements.
Three trends in smart packaging technologies on Halo
Smart and active are two different products. Four entries read the product and report: a colorimetric strip for biogenic amines, color-change indicators carried on regenerated polysaccharide, fluorescent carbon dots for anti-counterfeiting, and QR and NFC that turn a pack into a channel. Everything else doses the product. They share a taxonomy label and almost nothing else.
The pack as a slow-release device. The active entries are dosing problems. A sachet of sugar and yeast ferments on the moisture already present and releases ethanol and CO2, volatile plant extracts set off the produce's own defenses, a particle platform meters a volatile out over time, and pH-sensitive capsules swell before they open. Seven entries are encapsulation and nothing else.
Pectin waste keeps turning up. Three entries are built from spent pectin peel, the same feedstock that most food waste valorization work starts from: carbon dots from citrus peel put into a pectin film, regenerated polysaccharide particles carrying a color-change indicator, and apple pomace made porous and loaded with an active. One request for pectin valorization has seeded work in a second area entirely.
433organizations
431solutions listed
56%from startups and companies
37%in market
Frequently asked questions
What are smart packaging technologies?
Smart and active packaging covers a package that does something after it is sealed. It spans indicators that change color as a food ages and connected packaging a shopper can scan, actives released into the headspace such as ethanol, CO2 or a volatile plant extract, antimicrobials carried in the film itself, and the microencapsulation that decides when any of it is released.
What are examples of smart packaging technologies?
Four examples of smart packaging technologies on Halo include:
- Gold colloids and amine-reactive polymers read biogenic amines off a strip. (Georgia State University)
- Sugar and yeast in a nonwoven ferment on stored moisture, releasing ethanol and CO2. (University of Ghana)
- Antimicrobial active packaging doubling the shelf life of fresh meat. (Nanox Tecnology S/A)
- Microcapsules with programmable triggers, made to order. (Incaptek Sàrl)
What are the latest smart packaging innovations?
The most recently updated smart packaging technologies on Halo include:
Which companies and suppliers are developing smart packaging technologies?
There are 433 organizations with smart packaging technologies on Halo, 116 of them universities and research institutions. Among them are Georgia State University, Auburn University, and Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. Most offer co-development or sponsored research. Sign up to see every organization working in the area and to send them your specific need.
How do I find smart packaging research partners?
Browsing smart packaging technologies on Halo is free. Sign up to search the full network and save the ones you want. Post your specific need to get exact matches. Organizations reply directly on the platform.
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