Ciba continues to foster innovation in 2008 with two R&D Awards

Published: December 05, 2008

BASEL, SWITZERLAND |Ciba’s OnVu time-temperature indicators (TTIs) record the accumulated effects of time and temperature. An internal awards program for R&D efforts resulted with one award going to OnVu, which is supplied as a label, but it also can potentially be supplied as a printing ink. It’s said to show clearly whether a package product has been correctly stored and transported, i.e. whether it is safe to consume, by recording the effects on the product of temperature fluctuations over time. Every indicator is tailored to the shelf life and optimum storage conditions of the product it is designed to monitor.

OnVu TTIs have been developed for foodstuffs and drinks, especially meat and dairy products. The technology is the first step of a development that will be expanded to include TTIs for further applications, such as pharmaceuticals and other smart packaging solutions.

“OnVu™ TTIs help to increase both consumer and retailer confidence in the freshness of perishable products because they provide reliable evidence of transport and storage conditions,” said Martin Riediker, chief innovation officer at Ciba and a member of the company’s Executive Committee. “Consumers can check these conditions before buying a product, while suppliers and retailers can optimize shelf life because they no longer need to discard products prematurely to cover for potential spoilage.” Riediker emphasized, “Key to this project was out-of-the-box thinking and excellent cooperation between the partners involved–Ciba, which managed the project and contributed its extensive knowledge of pigments, Freshpoint, which provided detailed research into food safety and time-temperature characterization, and Bizerba, with its expertise in labeling and printing.”

For more information, visit: www.onvu.com.