Smart packaging- A pragmatic solution to approach sustainable food waste management

Food loss and food waste are multi-aspect issues that occur in different sectors of the food supply chain and cause serious repercussions on food security, the environment, and global as well as regional and national economies. A better understanding of the differences between food loss and food waste are prerequisite for tracking, analyzing, and reducing the impacts and exploring possible strategies to overcome them. The strategies should be more focused on reducing or preventing both food loss and food waste in the food supply chain simultaneously to achieve a sustainable food future. Since packaging is mutually inclusive in both, it could undoubtedly be one of the leading global strategies to overcome food loss and food waste issues. Smart packaging material is a rising novel technology with a variety of features that enables monitoring of the condition of packaged products, providing information and increasing storage period. This evolved packaging technology is becoming highly necessary as it could also ensure an increase in the interaction between the consumer and the food product, adding a new consumer experience besides allowing unambiguous data, traceability, and trackability. Since food waste and food loss have become a global concern, this review article emphasizes the implementation, appli-cation, limitations, and importance of smart packaging in minimization of the food waste and food loss along the food supply chain in comparison to current strategies. This review also discusses the myths and realities of current packaging system as well as the sustainability aspects of smart packaging from an economic, social, and environmental point of view.

Automated summary

Food loss and food waste have serious repercussions on food security, the environment, and economies. Understanding the differences between food loss and food waste is crucial for analyzing and reducing their impacts. Smart packaging, with its features of product monitoring and information provision, can play a leading role in overcoming these issues.