antimicrobial paper extends shelf life, claims manufacturer processors and producers are continuously looking for ways to help maintain the quality and extend the shelf life of food products that they prepare and hold. microbial growth can affect food quality and safety and can damage firms reputation and profits following costly recalls. food touch paper liners are specifically designed as a sanitary barrier for holding and storing highvalue, raw and cooked food items. featuring microbeguards indenta deep textured design, which assists the cooling process, tests shown the lining extends the shelf life of perishable food products, the manufacturer claims. microbegauard claims agion antimicrobial technology is one of the few available that is safe enough for human and food contact and is proven to be effective against a broad range of microorganisms, including bacteria, algae, and fungus such as mold and yeast.  the agion antimicrobial technology is incorporated into the food touch liners continuously releases silver ions at the surface of the paper when exposed to moisture. the silver disrupts microbe growth by interrupting rna ribonucleic acid replications needed for microorganisms growth, claims mircrobeguard. german project to create meat analysis rfid researchers in germany are developing radio frequency identification rfid technology that will measure and transmit the quality and condition of meat as well as enable processors to identify products throughout the supply chain.the research comes as new regulations oblige processors to track ingredients from their immediate suppliers and the products to their retail or distribution points. the requirements have pushed organisations to search for technological solutions allowing them to track and record items. recent scares involving food, notably the case where german authorities uncovered 110 tons of rotten meat at several warehouses destined for european union consumers, have also prompted organizations to find ways to prevent such abuses in the future.  the freshscan, a 3 million project funded by the federal ministry for education and research bmbf, is being coordinated by the fraunhofer institute for reliability and microintegration izm in berlin, which focuses on assembly and packaging technologies. the threeyear project, which began in mid2006 aims to develop a twocomponent system consisting of a semiactive rfid tag with temperature sensors to monitor the condition of meat, and record temperatures on a continual basis. the second part is an rfid reader with an optical detector. the device uses a laser to analyse the light spectrum in which chemical changes of meat can be detected. the condition recorded in the rfid tag. processors will attache the tag inside meats packaging, and the sensor on the rfid tag will take temperature, moisture and light incidence reading during intervals, recording this information on the tag. at any points during the supply chain the condition of the meat and the conditions the meat has been subjected to will be available to processors.  the project is still at the conceptual stage and no commercial partners are currently involved. when the project is complete, developers hope to have a working demonstration model that will need commercial backing to bring to market.  portable drug anticounterfeiting device to hit market the pharmaceutical industrys first fully portable drug anticounterfeiting device will be presented in baltimore later this month at ifpac, the international forum on process analytical chemistry.the briefcasesized instrument is manufactured by usbased analytical spectral devices asd, and uses the companys near infrared nir spectroscopic technology. asd claim that their system is superior to other technologies such as rfid and bar coding as these merely read package labelling and do not directly analyse the product itself.  asds nir device, the rxspec 700z, works on the premise that nearly every product has a unique spectral fingerprint determined by its molecular composition. the firms technology can then use this information to rapidly and nondestructively analyse products to verify authenticity. the new portable device is a modified version of the companys patented technology that was introduced into mail order pharmacies two years ago, and means that suspect drugs can be tested on the spot in real time rather than taken to a lab for testing. analytical spectral devices already markets its nir systems within the pharmaceutical industry, and has seven us patents addressing pharmaceutical verification. the system is currently being used in drug verification, whereby chemical compositions and dosages are ascertained by the rxspec technology and compared to an fda database of approved drugs to confirm they are in quality compliance with the fda.  abbotts bioabsorbable stent packs promise bioabsorbable stents, such as abbotts absorb, may soon open a new pathway in the treatment of coronary artery disease, and challenge the packaging process. in late october, abbott park, ilbased abbott laboratories delivered encouraging news regarding the initial results of a clinical trial involving its absorb bioabsorbable drugeluting stent for the treatment of coronary artery disease. the image here illustrates the stent within an artery. specifically, the company announced that the first 30 patients to receive the absorb stent demonstrated no mace major adverse cardiac events, such as a heart attack, and no stent thrombosis at 30 days. the stent is made of a polylactic acid, that an abbott press release says, is designed to be fully absorbed and slowly metabolized by the coronary artery. the stent is coated with a drug called everolimus thats released into the artery and then slowly absorbed over time. the goal is to leave a healed natural vessel behind.  alcan launches breakthrough aluminum technology initiative in france alcan is launching a r&d initiative centred in france and focused on its leading ap series aluminum smelting technology. this is part of alcans new r&d strategy, based on the core competencies of the companys two r&d hubs in france and canada. the company has set an ambitious target of developing a 20 more energy efficient and environmentally friendly cell through the accelerated introduction of new innovative technologies.    new members          tiyas linen          k s oils ltd          agro chemical industry offers          pet bottle flakes from india for vietnam          glass bottles in indonesia          plastic bottles for mineral water in pakistan more details at www.packagingconnections.com home pageevents          feb. 1315 anaheim westpack 2007, packaging technologies exhibition by canon communications llc. concurrently with md&m west, pacific design & manufacturing, plastec west, electronics west, and automation technology expo west. all at anaheim convention center. to register, go to www.devicelink.com.    feb. 2527      tampa charting the course, annual     automatic identification showcase of aim global. at renaissance international plaza. contact diana bowser at 7249344470 march 56 montreal corrugatedthe whole package strategies for competing globally, annual conference and trade fair of the canadian corrugated case association ccca. at hilton bonaventure. contact ccca at 4165909471 march 78label summit india, new delhilabel summit india 2007 is the only twoday conference and tabletop exhibition exploring the many opportunities for your business in the indian and global label industryhttpindia.labelsummit.com. march 89 new orleans healthpack 2007, conference and tabletop exhibition for medical device professionals. at astor crowne plaza. to register, visit www.healthpack.net. important emails press@packagingconnections.com   jobs@packagingconnections.com  offers@packagingconnections.com   info@packagingconnections.com   happy packaging sandeep goyal, the editorwww.packagingconnections.com  
