STANELCO Plc>>THE LATEST INFORMATION.

Alistair, the more I read the better it sounds !!!!

A recent report, 'The future of Active Packaging' {available from Pira International, priced £2500, tel: +44 (0)1372 802271}, goes some way towards shedding light on the direction that the technology may take.

Based on its own industry surveys, Pira valued the 2001 market for active packaging technologies in Japan, the US and Europe at $1.18bn. Japan, unsurprisingly, has the lion's share of the market, with the US and Europe gathering pace.

Pira predicts that the active packaging market as a whole will grow by 14% per year between 2001-2004, reaching $1.73bn by 2004. Growth is then expected to accelerate to reach $2.6bn by 2007, spurred on by continuing acceptance of oxygen scavengers and anti-bacterial films. Preservative releasers are set to represent the fastest growing area of the market beyond 2004, as the use of antioxidants to prevent microbial activity is accepted into legislation.

Of all active packaging technologies, oxygen scavengers appear to hold the greatest promise at present. Across active packaging technology areas the market for oxygen scavengers is forecast to grow by over 20% per year between 2002 and 2005, with volumes rising from around 14bn units world-wide to nearly 25bn units. Similar growth rates are anticipated for moisture absorbers, while adoption of less developed technologies will lag behind in the short to medium term.

The advancement of the UK chilled cabinet makes this a key area of growth opportunity for active packaging suppliers. The UK accounts for 75% of sales in oxygen scavengers, boosted by the popularity of premium, deli-style meats that are expensive enough to justify the added cost. Here, the scavengers prevent discolouration and degradation of meats such as salami, which is sensitive to oxygen.

With the Western European ready meals market now accounting for 9% of all chilled foods sales, this too is an application area that holds plenty of potential for oxygen scavengers. According to Pira, usage of active packaging in ready meals is forecast to grow by 31.5% between 2001-2004.