Packaging Technology and Science

This paper analyses some effects that have to be considered before the application of the radio frequency identification (RFID) system on packaging. The influence of water and metal on ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID tag readability was studied on two different UHF RFID tags labelled onto an empty corrugated box, a box filled with water and on a box covered with aluminium foil on the inside. Different results were obtained for both tags, with the content of labelled boxes having a great influence.

We used eye tracking to objectively characterize the ability of warnings to induce attention. Warnings manipulated with two design factors (outlined and filled) at two levels (present and absent) were crossed. As such, four warnings were tested: (a) no outline/no fill; (b) outline/no fill; (c) no outline/fill; and (d) outline/fill. When the warnings were constrained to a size typical of commercially available drugs, no significant differences in attentive behaviors were noted as a result of outline or fill when varied dependent variables were used.

This paper is a continuation of the authors' previous work and discusses the dropping damage boundary curves for cubic and hyperbolic tangent cushioning systems based on key component. The results in this paper and the previous results compose the complete descriptions of product dropping damage boundary curves for linear and nonlinear packaging cushioning systems based on key components.

The aim of this work was to study the effect of a cassava starch edible coating, added or not of the antimicrobial potassium sorbate, on minimally processed strawberries. Physical and chemical properties, respiration rate, besides the sensorial acceptance of uncoated and coated strawberries, stored up to 15 days at 5°C, were evaluated. Cassava starch coating increased the shelf-life of fruit, whereas potassium sorbate, in the studied conditions, was not efficient in reducing the mold occurrence in minimally processed strawberries.

The mass loss of polylactide (PLA) packaging in contact with ethanolic food simulant was several times larger compared with the mass loss in aqueous food simulants or isooctane. Electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry analysis revealed rapid migration of cyclic oligomers from PLA packaging in contact with 96% ethanol. This high solubility of cyclic oligomers commonly present in PLA packaging, thus, restricts the use of ethanol as fatty food simulant for PLA packaging.