Innoscentia close to first pilot trials

One of our members, Innoscentia, is now close to running the first pilot trials of its smart label that tells how fresh the food is in real-time. The technology is based on a discovery by researcher Martin Olsson, who found a way to register the decomposition processes in foods with a simple sensor that detects bacterial waste products known as bacterial metabolites. The label contains an ink that changes colour when metabolites bind to the surface. Both optical and electrical properties change, which means that you can check each individual item of packaging and find out the condition of the food in real time.

Innoscentia is run by Robin Thiberg and Erik Lindberg. Robin was recently named one of Sweden’s most innovative entrepreneurs. They have funding from LU Innovation System and Vinnova, and have established cooperation agreements with two other Packbridge members, Flextrus and Atria Scandinavia. Innoscentia has also benefited during its development from OpenUp, the digital platform for innovation established by Packbridge and the Skåne Food Innovation Network. It was there that Martin Olsson gained support from the packaging and food industries when he won Packbridge’s open innovation competition – How can packaging help reduce food waste?

It is expected that implementation of the first pilot involving customers – initially packaging companies and food producers – will take place in April 2016.

This will offer a way of extending the expiration date on meat, fish and poultry and thus a way of reducing food waste.

It is hoped that the first paying customer will appear in 2017, and ambitions are high.

“What Tetra Pak was when it came up with the arrived at tetrahedron, we will be for smart packaging solutions”, says Robin Thiberg to HD Sydsvenskan 8-5 magazine.