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Products undergo dynamic changes in their aroma or odor compositions during development, processing and storage. Understanding these changes is essential to ensure product quality, yet traditional analytical approaches are often too slow to track them as they occur. We develop bespoke analytical solutions to characterize dynamic processes in real-time based on the analysis of volatile markers in food, packaging, consumer goods and beyond.

With the aid of direct-injection methods, molecular changes can be detected in a product directly during its processing, avoiding time-consuming sample preparation and discontinuous analysis and providing key insights to inform decisions. This approach offers several benefits for product development, including monitoring and adapting processing steps, identifying early-stage quality impairments and avoiding undesirable, costly outputs. Chemical data thereby represents a reliable metric to aid decision-making – from molecule to market.

Application in the sectors of food and beverage, packaging, pet food and appliance development exemplify how this data-driven approach can support efficient and resource-conserving product developments for market success.

Our service approaches and latest developments in direct-injection analysis will be showcased at the international DIFFA26 symposium from 14-16 October 2026 at which leading research institutions, companies and technology platform providers will gather at Fraunhofer IVV in Freising. If you are a specialist or executive in the areas of product development, quality assurance and process optimization, be sure not to miss this event.

In the Gabriela collaborative project, we succeeded in recycling complex plastics from electric vehicles in such a way that they find their way back into automobiles. The joint project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) as part of the Lightweight Construction Technology Transfer Programme (TTP LB) and is supervised by Project Management Jülich.

Plastics from components containing up to 50% glass fiber pose a significant challenge for recycling. Nevertheless, two recycling approaches make it possible to recycle the plastics and close the material loop. We demonstrated this with the Pentatonic high-voltage battery housing from automotive supplier Kautex Textron. The recovered recyclates are even suitable for reuse in a direct loop as highly reinforced plastics in battery housings for electric vehicles.

Our dissolution-based recycling plays a special role in this process. The process enables the production of a high-purity plastic recyclate that can be seamlessly reintegrated into industrial production. In this way, we also close demanding material cycles in the automotive sector in a sustainable and cost-efficient manner. With a view to a functioning circular economy and the requirements of the European End-of-Life Vehicles Directive, this is becoming increasingly important, especially for the automotive industry. You can learn more about this in the article “Successfully Returning Plastics to Automobiles – Closed-Loop Recyclates for Electric Vehicles”, which appeared in issue 3/2026 of the journal Plastics Insights.

High-purity, recyclable materials can also be successfully recovered from plastic waste in the packaging, electronics, construction, and textile industries. Contact us – we’ll support you with our extensive experience in plastics recycling. Learn more about our solvent-based recycling!

In many companies, critical know-how exists not only in documents, but in employees’ expertise: in routines and manual processes, in interpreting machine behavior, in identifying deviations – all built on years of practical experience. When employees leave the company, this valuable tacit knowledge often leaves with them. Together with the growing shortage of skilled workers, this creates a significant challenge for industrial organizations.

This is where our AI-supported wiki chatbot comes in. Company knowledge is systematically captured, structured within a semantic wiki, and made accessible via an internal chatbot using natural language. When generating responses, the chatbot draws on validated internal knowledge as well as additional relevant sources as needed.

The challenge is that experiential knowledge cannot simply be queried – it must be systematically elicited and transferred. To achieve this, we apply methods from engineering psychology, combining engineering, psychology, and instructional design. By using targeted observation, structured interviews, and context-based questioning techniques, knowledge is reconstructed directly within operational workflows. The result is a digital knowledge system that makes expertise accessible across the organization. The chatbot delivers this knowledge directly within day-to-day processes – via simple, user-friendly queries in the language of the workforce.

Keep valuable expertise within your company: Contact us!

Anyone who manufactures or uses packaging for meat products today has to meet several objectives at once: high product quality, extended shelf life and reduced plastic consumption. This is exactly where the international research project "Mate4Meat" comes in.

Together with research partners, we are working on pioneering solutions for the meat industry. The focus is on developing innovative, bio-based packaging films with antimicrobial properties. To achieve this, functional ingredients are derived from food processing byproducts and microorganisms. These are specifically integrated into packaging materials to inhibit product-specific spoilage organisms and pathogens. Fraunhofer IVV validates the new materials in terms of functionality and food suitability using standardized test methods as well as application-oriented storage tests. In doing so, we examine antimicrobial efficacy and assess the microbiological status and product quality of packaged meat throughout the entire storage period.

The findings from "Mate4Meat" are directly incorporated into our broad service portfolio: we support you in testing the efficacy of your antimicrobial surfaces, assessing the conformity of your packaging materials, and optimizing your packaging concepts.

Would you like to reliably test or further develop functional packaging? Contact us - we're here to help.

Consistent chocolate flow is essential to maintain operational efficiency in chocolate processing. If this balance is disrupted, production may come to a halt, leading to waste and extensive cleaning efforts. In this context, rheological measurements play a key role in improving process reliability. However, the lack of unified standards for sample preparation and data evaluation still prevents direct comparison of results across different sites.

Here, the Fraunhofer IVV team provides its expertise. Reliable, comparable rheological measurement protocols and data help to reduce losses in chocolate processing. These standardized measurements enable targeted quality and process decisions while helping to define stable process windows for production, conching and storage.

Would you like to explore current topics in chocolate technology? Then register now for the IVLV cooperative event Future Days "Chocolate Technology" on June 23rd and 24th, 2026, at Fraunhofer IVV in Freising (held in German).

Bio-based ester oils for hydraulic applications and photoprotective active ingredients from algae show how versatile biotechnology can already be used today. We are working exactly on such solutions in our laboratories. With the help of biological systems, microorganisms and enzymes, industrial processes can be controlled in a targeted way - efficiently, in a resource-saving manner and with a view to recyclability.

Companies from a wide range of industries are currently looking for precisely such solutions without compromising on performance or cost-effectiveness. Two of our team's current research projects "EnTE" and "MycoNoS" show that this is possible.

Food manufacturers today operate in a challenging environment shaped by increasing requirements for product safety and ever more complex supply chains. To reduce losses and ensure reliable supply, it is becoming increasingly important to identify risks at an early stage.

This is exactly where our developments come in. In the "RAVOC" project, we are using the example of hazelnuts and dried fruit to investigate how open and hidden mold contamination can be detected at an early stage through real-time monitoring. To achieve this, we are using machine learning methods to evaluate measurement data and develop new analysis models. The aim is to be able to reliably distinguish between mold-infested and uncontaminated goods in the future.

Our work opens up new possibilities for mobile analytics along the supply chain, for example on the basis of specific gas sensors. This enables early detection of quality risks and strengthens supply security. Food manufacturers can thus make well-informed decisions with regard to storage and logistics. With targeted adjustments, the developed models are also suitable for detecting food adulteration.

Would you like to use dynamic shelf life predictions for food and unlock new potential along your supply chain? Get in touch with us - we will support you in the development of suitable approaches.

The PPWR significantly increases the requirements for food packaging: recyclability and the use of recyclates are becoming mandatory. At the same time, reliable product protection remains essential. High-performance barriers are therefore indispensable and must be able to withstand the mechanical stresses of the thermoforming process when producing cups and trays.

This is exactly where the developments of the Fraunhofer IVV come in: With our thermoformable barrier coatings, recyclates can be safely used in PET- or PP-based mono-material trays and in compliance with food regulations. At the same time, the oxygen and water vapor barrier of the packaging is increased, which can extend the shelf life of sensitive products. In recent studies, the oxygen barrier of thermoformed trays was increased by a factor of 4 compared to state-of-the-art materials with a barrier layer.

These functional coatings open up new possibilities for sustainable packaging concepts. As an alternative to conventional multi-material composites, they combine product protection, the ability to use recycled materials and thermoformability in a recyclable mono-material concept – without compromising on process or quality.

Meet us from May 7 to 13, 2026, at interpack in Düsseldorf. Feel free to schedule a personal meeting with our experts in advance and discover the potential that thermoformable barrier coatings offer for your sustainable packaging solutions.

Macroalgae is a versatile ingredient, rich in protein, fast-growing and resource efficient. With the right processing approaches, it opens up a wide range of innovative food applications.

Algae have long been a staple food in Asia. However, they have so far played only a minor role in Western diets. Taste, smell, texture and color pose challenges for producers and consumers alike. The EU-funded "FunSea" project (Horizon 2020 / SBEP) addresses exactly these challenges.

Together with partners from research and industry, we are developing safe and scalable processing solutions that unlock the full potential of brown macroalgae. These form the basis for innovative food concepts that involve pre-treated brown algae. Enzymatic and microbial processes are used to enhance the functional and nutritional properties, enabling new product generations. At the same time, our experts develop first prototypes and carry out extensive testing to ensure safety, nutritional value and sensory quality.

Interested in shaping the future of innovative foods? Get in touch with our expert Dr. Maike Föste to explore how we can support your company.

How are technologies developed that make production lines more efficient, packaging more sustainable and processes more intelligent? Our double anniversary "100 years – research connects" showed how 70 years of university research and teaching at TU Dresden and 30 years of Fraunhofer IVV at the Dresden site have produced groundbreaking innovations that are used directly in practice.

Together with partners from industry and mechanical engineering, the processing technology experts are developing sustainable packaging systems, efficient production and cleaning processes and innovative, AI-based solutions for machines and systems. A current project with packaging machine manufacturer Theegarten-Pactec, the global market leader in confectionery packaging, shows how the transfer to industrial practice works.

We have developed an AI agent for Theegarten-Pactec that provides digital support for the global commissioning of packaging machines. When systems are installed around the globe, extensive documentation is created – previously often handwritten, as a PDF and in different languages. The AI agent automatically digitizes and analyzes this information, identifies gaps and asks questions. "This opens up a completely new pool of data for us, a wealth of knowledge and facts, which we will even be able to use in the future for the new and further development of packaging machines in order to meet the most common challenges," says Managing Director Dr. Egbert Röhm.

Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer, Fraunhofer Executive Board member Prof. Axel Müller-Groeling and TUD Rector Prof. Ursula Staudinger also took advantage of the event to get an idea of the pioneering technologies and developments at the Dresden "packaging hub".

We will be presenting our AI-based assistance and knowledge management systems at this year's interpack Hall 4, C54.
Drop by or get in touch!