Eastern Poland Consumer Awareness of Innovative Active and Intelligent Packaging in the Food Industry: Exploratory Studies

For some time, traditional food packaging has not been able to meet the current market demand in some segments. This is mainly due to the advancing market globalization, increasing product complexity, the changing and increasingly high expectations and needs of customers, increasing requirements for monitoring packaging materials and, consequently, food safety, as well as the revival of national and international initiatives to support the circular economy and minimize the carbon footprint of manufactured products. Therefore, smart packaging with increased functionality has become indispensable. On the one hand, this solution allows for the offering or adaptation of products that meet the stricter national and international regulatory requirements (in particular for food safety) and allows a tracking from the cradle to the grave; on the other hand, it can serve as a way to expand markets in the context of globalization. Moreover attention should be paid to the development of knowledge on environmental protection and the increasing environmental awareness of consumers. In connection with the above, in recent years there has been an increase in interest in the design and production of new packaging for food products based on the latest technical and technological solutions. It is primarily intelligent and active packaging that should be mentioned here. Hence, the aim of the article, as well as that of our own conducted research, was to analyze consumer attitudes and behaviors in the field of modern food packaging, as well as to check the level of awareness of consumers from Eastern Poland in relation to innovative active and intelligent packaging in the food industry. In addition, the intermediate aim was also to identify other factors influencing the attractiveness of food packaging and, consequently, increasing the willingness to buy them. To achieve these aims, a literature study was carried out, as well as empirical research using the diagnostic survey method, conducted among the inhabitants of South-Eastern Poland. Based on our own research, it can be concluded that the level of knowledge of the essence of intelligent and active packaging in Eastern Poland is still at a low level. Among the other factors increasing the attractiveness of packaging for food products, contemporary consumers from the analyzed region of Poland indicated primarily their environmental friendliness, the possibility of recycling, as well as the readability and transparency of the information contained on the packaging.