Issue 4 2018

analysis & control
51
CPI supports smart labelling project to cut
food waste
The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) is supporting a next-generation smart labelling project
that aims to dramatically cut food waste and health risks across the perishable goods industry.
CPI is working
alongside
Intray Limited
and Mexar
Limited to
ramp up
production
of the Oli-
Tecbranded
Time
Temperature
Indicator label
Working in collaboration with
SMEs Intray Limited and Mexar
Limited, CPI is co-developing
wet media formulations to ramp
up production of the Oli-Tec
branded Time Temperature
Indicator label (TTI).
TTIs have the potential to
transform the food industry by
providing real-time information on
a product’s condition throughout
its supply chain journey.
Existing sell-by, use-by and best
before dates provide insufficient
information and alerts to
consumers on the shelf-life status
and degradation of goods, leading
to greater risk of health hazards
and increased waste.
Intray has developed the
underpinning proof-of-principle for
an innovative, yet cost-effective,
TTI label known as Oli-Tec.
This TTI label responds to time
and temperature using a green,
amber and red traffic light system
to highlight the condition of the
goods, with the latter notifying
consumers that their safety
could be at risk. Through use of
an amber-coloured call-to-action
function, it also has the potential
to save greater amounts of waste
by alerting consumers to the
condition of the goods as they
deteriorate.
CPI, from its position within
the Government’s High Value
Manufacturing Catapult
Demonstration
prototype labels will
be generated, tested
and evaluated,
allowing Intray to
carry out market
trials ahead of a
planned launch in
2020
programme, is working alongside
inkjet development company
Mexar Limited to co-develop wet
media formulations for various
shelf-life timings, spread between
2 and 15 days.
Operating out of its state-of-
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