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Introducing APPEAL,

the future of agri-food labels

APPEAL project creates the first zero-waste, edible, compostable and smart agri-food label.

About Appeal

APPEAL project

APPEAL (Agri-food Protected by Printable Edible Authenticating Labels) has been funded by the Italian Ministry of university and Research under the funding scheme FISA.

Edible. Traceable. Compostable.

The APPEAL project develops a next-generation agri-food label that is zero-waste, edible, compostable, and capable of integrating product security and traceability—all in a single solution.

APPEAL will significantly enhance the protection of agri-food products by providing an unprecedented level of anti-counterfeiting security. Its core innovation is an food-safe and fully bio-compostable and edible label embedded with an advanced authentication system.

This system can be used directly by consumers to verify key information about food products—such as origin, processing, storage, and production—while also supporting companies and regulatory authorities in monitoring supply chains with exceptional reliability. It enables rapid detection of counterfeiting and facilitates efficient actions such as the withdrawal of contaminated batches.

The context

The increasingly global fruit and vegetable market demands shared standards for product identification and labelling that ensure regulatory compliance and improve traceability. These standards also streamline supply-chain operations, enabling automated data processing and faster, data-driven decisions in a sector shaped by climate and plant-health variability.

Meanwhile, the environmental impact of plastic waste has become urgent: packaging represents 36% of municipal solid waste in the EU. To address this, the European Commission has adopted the UE Regulation 2025/40 (PPWR – Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation), a new EU-wide framework that introduces uniform, binding rules to reduce packaging waste, improve recyclability, and harmonize standards across all Member States.

In response, food producers and major labelling companies are turning to sustainable alternatives, including laser labelling and non-plastic solutions.

Our Technology

APPEAL technology’s unique features

APPEAL is capable of simultaneously offering a solution to several issues connected to the labeling of food products such as fruits and vegetables. APPEAL presents a multilayered approach that makes the label a game-changing tool for enhancing consumer trust, ensuring product integrity, and promoting environmental responsibility in the fresh produce sector.

Sustainable

The label is certified 100% compostable, produced with safe ingredients, including the matrix, the glue and the inks. It
is plant-based, made from upcycled agri-food industrial by products.

Edibility and safety

It’s edible: there are no risks due to ingestion, making it safe for children and the elderly. It compiles with the MOCA regulation for food contact labels.

Traceability

Through the use of a dedicated app, all players in the supply chain – from the producer to the final user – can verify the provenance of the fruit to which it is applied.

Anti-counterfeiting  

It features various levels of anti-counterfeiting protection: it cannot be moved to a different piece of fruit or vegetable without breaking, it is UV-fluorescent, and it is nano-engineered to possess unique properties.

Mobile App

APPEAL app will be released in 2026

You will be soon able to instantly verify product authenticity with our powerful mobile app. Scan QR codes and check UV authentication in seconds.

Quick QR Scanning

Point your camera at any Appeal label to instantly access product information, authentication status, and supply chain details.

UV Light Detection

Use your device's camera with UV mode to reveal hidden authentication patterns and verify genuine Appeal labels.

Offline Verification

Verify products even without an internet connection. All authentication data is securely stored on your device.

project partners

A collaborative effort

Thanks to Politecnico di Milano’s research in the field of materials engineering and the development of innovative anti-counterfeiting systems, and the collaboration in the APPEAL project of several partners active in the fields of agri-food, food safety, and the commercialization of innovative products, a truly unique label is taking shape.

The entire technology was developed at the Politecnico di Milano by the NanoLab group within the Department of Energy, led by Professor Carlo Spartaco Casari. The group has over a decade of experience in developing innovative, optically active materials, which over the years led to the creation of the APPEAL project.

The team has been supported in the concept and development of the system by several academic and industrial partners, including:

APPEAL Workshop

The online workshop “Oltre l’etichetta: ricerca, sostenibilità e innovazione” explored the evolving role of labels in the agri-food sector, from product information and traceability to sustainability, safety and supply chain transparency.

Organised together with the APPEAL partners, the event started from the APPEAL project results and brought together research and industry perspectives to discuss innovative solutions and future opportunities for more sustainable and transparent food packaging.

News

Discover the latest news on the APPEAL project and technology development.