Suitability of active and intelligent packaging for local and organic food:A case study in Southern Finland

This study explores the suitability of innovative packaging for local and organic food. Attitudes and opinions in local and organic food chains in Southern Finland were collected via eighteen semistructural interviews. The respondents were small-scale producers and processors of fish, meat, berries, and mushrooms, wholesalers, retailers, and institutional kitchens. The aim of this study was to understand factors promoting and preventing the penetration of innovative packaging solutions into the organic and local food market. A clear majority (86%) of respondents considered active and intelligent solutions to be equally suitable for local and organic food as for conventional food. However, less than half would actually use the technologies in their own products.