A Comprehensive Review on Inkjet‐Printed Intelligent Food Packaging Materials: Principle, Ink Formulation, Functional Inks, and Potential Applications

ABSTRACT Food packaging is crucial for preserving food quality, safety, and integrity while meeting consumer demands for convenience and sustainability. Innovative packaging systems can enhance the basic packaging characteristics; in particular, intelligent packaging meets the rising demands to impr...

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Main Authors: Siyi Liu, Zhenyu Han, Xiaoyu Luo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-07-01
Series:Food Frontiers
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/fft2.70034
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author Siyi Liu
Zhenyu Han
Xiaoyu Luo
author_facet Siyi Liu
Zhenyu Han
Xiaoyu Luo
author_sort Siyi Liu
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Food packaging is crucial for preserving food quality, safety, and integrity while meeting consumer demands for convenience and sustainability. Innovative packaging systems can enhance the basic packaging characteristics; in particular, intelligent packaging meets the rising demands to improve the communication and convenience functions of food packaging by integrating real‐time monitoring and interactive features. Inkjet printing can be a potential means for the incorporation of such intelligent packaging add‐ons. As a liquid deposition process, the adoption of inkjet printing in intelligent packaging requires the formulation of printable inks that are compatible with various printing substrates. Hence, this review article aims to comprehensively discuss the fundamental principles and requirements of inkjet printed materials for their application in intelligent packaging development. By optimizing ink composition with desired rheological characteristics, printable fluids can be successfully formulated if a compatible printing substrate is selected. Different types of functional inks that are chromogenic, luminescent, or conductive can be promising in developing inkjet‐printed intelligent materials in the form of indicators, sensors, or bar codes. Overall, inkjet‐printed functional inks can become a promising material in intelligent packaging development for the packaging industry, such as for monitoring food safety issues, revealing freshness decay, detecting potential adulterants, and tracking product status in the supply chain. Future research may focus on developing stable biodegradable inks, incorporating artificial intelligence features, and scaling up for industrial applications.
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publishDate 2025-07-01
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series Food Frontiers
spelling doaj-art-c25841adf19b4beba815bb15d19146ff2025-08-20T03:30:20ZengWileyFood Frontiers2643-84292025-07-01641715174110.1002/fft2.70034A Comprehensive Review on Inkjet‐Printed Intelligent Food Packaging Materials: Principle, Ink Formulation, Functional Inks, and Potential ApplicationsSiyi Liu0Zhenyu Han1Xiaoyu Luo2Food Science and Technology Program, Department of Life Sciences Beijing Normal – Hong Kong Baptist University Zhuhai ChinaFood Science and Technology Program, Department of Life Sciences Beijing Normal – Hong Kong Baptist University Zhuhai ChinaFood Science and Technology Program, Department of Life Sciences Beijing Normal – Hong Kong Baptist University Zhuhai ChinaABSTRACT Food packaging is crucial for preserving food quality, safety, and integrity while meeting consumer demands for convenience and sustainability. Innovative packaging systems can enhance the basic packaging characteristics; in particular, intelligent packaging meets the rising demands to improve the communication and convenience functions of food packaging by integrating real‐time monitoring and interactive features. Inkjet printing can be a potential means for the incorporation of such intelligent packaging add‐ons. As a liquid deposition process, the adoption of inkjet printing in intelligent packaging requires the formulation of printable inks that are compatible with various printing substrates. Hence, this review article aims to comprehensively discuss the fundamental principles and requirements of inkjet printed materials for their application in intelligent packaging development. By optimizing ink composition with desired rheological characteristics, printable fluids can be successfully formulated if a compatible printing substrate is selected. Different types of functional inks that are chromogenic, luminescent, or conductive can be promising in developing inkjet‐printed intelligent materials in the form of indicators, sensors, or bar codes. Overall, inkjet‐printed functional inks can become a promising material in intelligent packaging development for the packaging industry, such as for monitoring food safety issues, revealing freshness decay, detecting potential adulterants, and tracking product status in the supply chain. Future research may focus on developing stable biodegradable inks, incorporating artificial intelligence features, and scaling up for industrial applications.https://doi.org/10.1002/fft2.70034food quality and safetyfunctional inkinkjet printingintelligent packagingink formulation
spellingShingle Siyi Liu
Zhenyu Han
Xiaoyu Luo
A Comprehensive Review on Inkjet‐Printed Intelligent Food Packaging Materials: Principle, Ink Formulation, Functional Inks, and Potential Applications
Food Frontiers
food quality and safety
functional ink
inkjet printing
intelligent packaging
ink formulation
title A Comprehensive Review on Inkjet‐Printed Intelligent Food Packaging Materials: Principle, Ink Formulation, Functional Inks, and Potential Applications
title_full A Comprehensive Review on Inkjet‐Printed Intelligent Food Packaging Materials: Principle, Ink Formulation, Functional Inks, and Potential Applications
title_fullStr A Comprehensive Review on Inkjet‐Printed Intelligent Food Packaging Materials: Principle, Ink Formulation, Functional Inks, and Potential Applications
title_full_unstemmed A Comprehensive Review on Inkjet‐Printed Intelligent Food Packaging Materials: Principle, Ink Formulation, Functional Inks, and Potential Applications
title_short A Comprehensive Review on Inkjet‐Printed Intelligent Food Packaging Materials: Principle, Ink Formulation, Functional Inks, and Potential Applications
title_sort comprehensive review on inkjet printed intelligent food packaging materials principle ink formulation functional inks and potential applications
topic food quality and safety
functional ink
inkjet printing
intelligent packaging
ink formulation
url https://doi.org/10.1002/fft2.70034
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