Who we are

GSICA is the acronym for the Italian Scientific Group of Food Packaging, a cultural association which collects researchers in the Food Packaging field, motivated by the wish to share their own experience

History

The GSICA was born in 1999 on initiative of some researchers of the department of Food Science and Technologies (diSTAM), University of Milan. The group, informally, dedicates special attention to the professional updating and to a fruitful relation with companies which produce or use packaging for foods.
The conferences organized independently or in conjunction with important events in the field, gained a large success, as to testify the strong need by the food packaging world to strengthen contacts.

This step was compulsory for a Group which gave proof of great skill. The Association rises from the intention to widen the range of its initiatives and to optimize resources, while the aims and the essence of the Group have always remained the same that justified its beginning: to create a useful and positive aggregation among those people committed to face scientific problems in the field of food packaging, to contribute to the progress of knowledge in this applied research area, to encourage the growth and diffusion of a scientific culture and, last but not least, to skilfully represent the Italian research in international contexts.
Over the last few years GSICA gained experience in planning and organising multidisciplinary event, broadened its number of affiliates and is now acting as one of the main association with regard to food science. With the aim of improving the quality of the services provided GSICA, as from June 2009, has registered its statute and obtained an IVA code.

The organization

The association is non-profit and operates for the only pursuit of cultural purposes, always bearing in mind the concept of "sustainable development".
It is based on a democratic structure and gathers people who, in the most diverse cultural and productive environments, act for the growth and progress of a scientific culture of food packaging. The positions such as president, directive council and honorary members, are renewed every three years. President of the association is Prof. Luciano Piergiovanni, Professor at diSTAM – department of Food Science and Technologies – Faculty of Agricultural Science – University of Milan. To date he teaches at the University of Milan and at the University of Gastronomic Science of Pollenzo – Cuneo. The Directive Council is made up of 13 members, all committed in the food packaging sector either at a public or private level. The honorary members, to date, are 8 noteworthy people who have emerged for particular merits connected with the scopes of the association.

Mission

• To encourage the growth and diffusion of a food packaging scientific culture;
• To skilfully represent the Italian research in international contexts;
• To allow a fruitful exchange between public and private research;
• To create aggregation among whoever faces scientific problems in the field of food packaging;
• To contribute to the progress of knowledge in this specific area of applied research.

Press

The press medium of the association is Food Packages.
Food Packages is the first Italian magazine dealing exclusively with the science, technologies and design of food packaging.
The aim is to dedicate an exclusive space to food packaging, by examining every aspect and problem, in order to fulfil the needs of those dealing with food packaging. The mission sustaining the project relies on the will to facilitate information exchanges among researchers who find in this magazine the ideal tool to bring their studies to the attention of industry. The publication, technical and specialized, is addressed not only to academics, but also to companies, technicians and people in charge of marketing aspects.