Food processing and packaging solutions provider Tetra Pak has introduced connected packaging platform to convert milk and juice cartons into interactive information channels, full-scale data carriers and digital tools.
Image: The connected package. Photo: courtesy of Tetra Pak International S.A.
The new connected packaging platform, which is driven by the trends behind Industry 4.0 and including code generation, digital printing and data management as its core components, will provide new benefits to food producers, retailers and shoppers.
Tetra Pak’s new packaging platform will provide end-to-end traceability for producers to enhance production of the product, quality control and supply chain transparency.
The platform holds capacity to track and trace the history or location of any product, helping to monitor for market performance and any potential issues.
It will provide better supply chain visibility and real-time insights for retailers and helps distributors to track stock movements. The platform alerts retailers when issues occur and allows to monitor delivery performance.
For shoppers, the platform will help access large amounts of information such as where the product was made, the farm that the ingredients came from and where the package can be recycled.
Tetra Pak said that it has successfully completed pilots with its customers to test the new connected package and its performance in retail in Spain, Russia, China, the Dominican Republic and India with the support of beverage, juice and milk producers.
Tetra Pak cross portfolio vice president Ivan Nesterenko said: “We are unlocking new opportunities for our customers to get more value from packaging than even before. No longer is it only about product protection and functionality, it is about connectivity.
The future of packaging is undoubtedly digital: this launch is a step towards a truly intelligent package, and we are excited to collaborate with our customers on this journey.”
Recently, Tetra Pak has collaborated with Microsoft, ABB, SAP and Elettric80 for the digitalization of food manufacturing.
Tetra Pak will combine advanced technologies from the partner firms with its food expertise to facilitate digital transformation of food manufacturing, enabling the company to better serve its customers.