Could your kitchen tell you what to cook?

The first working week of January sees Las Vegas host the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) – a massive event showcasing forthcoming technology that tech companies think will dominate our lives through 2016 and beyond. This year’s CES has been dominated by drones, health technologies and the Internet of Things.

The Internet of Things

The Internet of Things is a network of physical objects that link together to provide a “smart environment”. Examples include microwaves, fridges, kettles, ovens, fire alarms and thermostats. These things are embedded with electronics, sensors and software and can then be controlled via the internet – usually through a tablet or smartphone. This means your fridge could, for example, remind you that the cheese you bought is about to go off, so you should incorporate it into your evening meal. It could even recommend a recipe for you; cheese on toast.

This example is not yet a reality due to a particular barrier – the not so smart packaging food and drink comes in. Smart fridges at the moment require the user to individually input the details of all of the products placed within it. The introduction of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology into packaging would remove this requirement – your fridge would know exactly what’s inside and be able give you an itinerary while you shop. The end result could be a smart kitchen which would know what food is in stock and help you efficiently plan to reduce food waste. So instead of cheese on toast, it’s macaroni cheese, because the kitchen knows the bread is new and isn’t about to go stale.

Smart packaging

Smart packaging is already being used to lift everyday products into a premium market. In the US, beers sold at specific events have paper-printed batteries and NFC chips to allow users to interact with the brand and play games, and order up some more beers. The price for the “smart bottles” is disproportionately higher than the cost of integrating the technology into the label, justified by novelty, exclusivity and added extras obtainable through use of the smart packaging. Of course, with more advanced packaging there are more risks. For example, it would be dangerous to have a food item contained in smart packaging where an integrated paper battery could leak into the item, which may be why the first products to use these technologies are typically drinks in impermeable containers.

Back in 2009, the EU commission passed a regulation dictating what “active and intelligent materials” may come into contact with food. The law was drafted with the knowledge that, in the not-too-distant future, packaging for products could be made from materials which would interact with their contents. The commission thought that, in due course, food and drink in smart packaging could be altered by the packaging itself – whereby liquids or solids on the lining of the packaging could change the flavour of the product and become an “ingredient” or react to show that the food must be eaten (or not, as the case may be). Although we are not at this stage yet, this years CES show has shown that we a closer than ever to a world where even the simplest thing can be smart.

There are, as ever, increased burdens when it comes to considering smart packaging – particularly around confidential information and handling logistics and distribution. Many of the issues are similar to those facing existing food and drink brands; trade mark ownership and protection, contractual obligations with third parties and arrangements with distributors.