Novel Ideas in Food Packaging

evolve, demand for portability and expediency increases. Today’s consumers want to access the Internet while ordering lattes, call their physicians while taking public transportation, send text messages while crossing intersections, and watch the latest film release on DVD while driving to grandma and grandpa’s house. As a consequence, modern society now consists of millions of impatient multitaskers—generations of individuals who want to maximize their time by engaging in two tasks or more simultaneously. This global trend of on-the-go access, convenience, and immediate gratification pervades not only the industries of technology, communications, and entertainment but the food industry as well. Today’s consumers expect to shop for clothing and interact with friends over the Web while dining on 7-minute Asian cuisine that tastes great and is safe for consumption. Over the years, the food industry has answered the call for diverse choices of convenient food items, with food and beverage packaging paving the way. In the 19th century, pioneers such as Nicholas Appert, Louis Pasteur, Samuel C. Prescott, and William L. Underwood developed food packaging and preservation concepts that maintain relevancy today (Wilson, 2007). Twentieth-century inventions such as glass bottles, cellophane wrap, aluminum foil, The Institute of Food Technologists has issued a Scientific Status Summary on recent innovations in food packaging materials. Here is a synopsis. Novel Ideas in Food Packaging By Toni Tarver BY Toni Tarver