One of the important dimensions in maintaining the quality and safety of food products is paying attention to product packaging. Smart food packaging is one of the latest technologies in the field of food packaging, which, due to its potential and design, can provide valuable and important information about the packaged food to the seller and consumer.
Considering the importance of this topic and also the scientific activities carried out in the Research Institute of Food Sciences and Technology, a scientific webinar with the presence of Dr. Leyli Nesrin Kayaoglu, a member of the academic staff of the Department of Food Engineering at the Middle East Technical University of Turkey was hosted by RIFST. At first, she mentioned the challenges of plastic recycling in the environment and the entry of biodegradable polymers into the field of food packaging, and by presenting practical examples, she introduced various biopolymers used in this industry. Following that, the latest research and innovations in the field of smart packaging, including the use of calorimetric sensors to monitor spoilage in fish/meat, moisture detection inside the packaging, the use of mobile software to detect fraud, etc. were presented
After the lecture, a discussion and exchange of opinions about the challenges and solutions of using smart packaging in the food industry took place with the participation of faculty members and doctoral students present in the meeting.
At the end of the meeting, with the presence of RIFST's Research Deputy, cooperation solutions between the Research Institute of Food Science and Technology and the Middle East Technical University in the form of defining joint research projects or student exchange were discussed. It should be noted that the Middle East Technical University is a public university in Ankara and one of the leading educational research centers in Turkey.