Food Packaging

Summary

It's not possible to imagine food without a packet! May it be the grains fresh out of the farm

or the processed food from a hi-tech plant or simply the cow-milk. Food packaging is

everywhere. Being such a large industry, packaging has its own principles, technology,

advantages and disadvantages, processes, toxic effects and cost. Moreover it is a fast

advancing science which has moved from the mere paper and cardboards to space-age

intelligent packaging mechanisms.

Key Words: Food packaging, Food safety, Tetra pack, PET, Retort pack, Leaching, Radio

Frequency Identification

Introduction

Packaging which used to be a mere necessity few decades back has now turned into an art

and a science. There are packaging courses and institutions, teaching packaging technology.

While it primarily involves enclosing or protecting products for storage, distribution, sale,

and use, today attractive packaging helps to draw customers towards the product. . It also

refers to the process of design, evaluation, and production of packages. While appropriate

packaging is important to maintain the basic attributes of food (temperature, colour, taste,

texture, etc), maintaining food safety is an important function of packaging. Here, it becomes

equally important that the packing material itself is of food-grade and not a hazard to food

safety.
History

Egypt seems to have pioneered food packaging. Mummies were packed with all articles of

daily use including food! Egypt was one of the first countries to have used paper (from

Papyrus plant). There are references how paper was in ise for packaging food as well (that

included vegetables and spices). In the prehistoric times, however, only natural materials

were available and used for packaging which included leaves, animal skin, bark, coconut

shells and dried vegetable skins etc. Subsequently, baskets of reeds, wooden boxes, wooden

barrels, woven bags, etc. came into use. Pottery vases, water storage containers came later.

The use of tinplate for packaging dates back to the 18th century. The first corrugated box was

produced commercially in 1817 in England. Gair discovered that by cutting and creasing he

could make prefabricated paperboard boxes. Packaging advancements in the early 20th

century included Bakelite closures on bottles, transparent cellophane over wraps, that

increased processing efficiency and improved food safety. Aluminum and plastics were also

incorporated later.

Traditional packaging couldn't stand the rigors of World War II which led to Military

Standard or tough "mil spec" (military specifications) in the 1940s. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

revolutionized food packaging. It formed a seal without clinging to itself, food or to the

container. It has low permeability to oxygen, water vapors and flavors, however there have

been concerns about its toxicity. In 21st century food packaging has evolved as a specialized

industry. (Foodservice Packaging Institute, 2006)

Why food packaging?

There are as many answesr to this question as the number of types of food packets! While a

particular 'Mil-grade' type of tough food packaging developed during the World War - II,

when food got destroyed due to poor packaging; it was in the 1930s that single use cone cups,

plates, etc were widely used to feed workers on the remote dams, bridges and roads of the

Works Progress Administration in USA, to cut cost and for ease of transport. It was Dr.

Samuel J. Crumbine a public health officer in Kansas, in 1908, who while on a train

witnessed one of his TB patients taking a drink of water from a common dipper and water

bucket (a publicly shared way of drinking water) in the car. Right behind his patient was a

young girl who drank from the same dipper and bucket. This inspired him to launch a crusade

to ban publicly shared or common utensils in public places. Taking note of the trend

Lawrence Luellen invented a disposable paper cup!

There are multiple needs, for the purpose of storing, carrying, transporting,

preserving, maintaining temperature, economizing, glamorizing food, and so are diverse ways

of packaging and carrying eatables.

Advantages of Food Packaging: There are various advantages of food packaging. Good

packaging protects against breakages, vibrations, temperature, heat and humidity. Packaging

acts as a barrier against water, dust, contaminants, direct touch, micro-organisms, etc). All

these attributes enhance the shelf life of the food product. Packaging gives a good look and

glamourizes the packets for marketing, besides making it convenient for the user. The packets

contain labels, which give specific information about the contents, dates of manufacture and

expiry, nutrient values, details of manufacturer, etc. In addition there may be specific

applications on some packets like the anti-theft devices. Suitable packaging also helps in

categorizing, grouping and appropriate storage of articles.

Principles of Packaging

Packaging of food articles should be done in a way that chances of contamination, reaction

with packed material, decomposition etc is avoided. Packaging must be done in appropriate

way or as per the norms so recommended by Food and Drug Authority India. It can be done

in multiple layers as enumerated here

Primary packaging: It envelops and holds the food product

Secondary packaging: It is exterior to the primary packaging

Tertiary packaging: It is the tough outermost covering that is used for bulk handling,

warehouse storage and transport / shipping.

Advantages of Food Packaging: The major advantages of food packaging are enumerated

below:

Packaging and Food Safety

While food packaging is an integral component of food industry and helps to store food and

beverages in hygienic manner, it can at times be a cause of concern for food safety. Some

packaging materials such as certain types of plastic, polythenes and Styrofoam can release

toxins when they are heated and can be dangerous to consumers. Packaging materials which

are irradiated (along with food) can transfer unsafe nonfood substances into the food. Food

packaging makes use of a variety of substances, including dyes for printing colorful labels,

and glues and adhesives for keeping packaging closed. In order to protect consumers

effectively, the relevant authority individually certifies each of these food packaging

materials subjecting them to rigorous testing protocols.

Packaging Material
As mentioned above packaging has to be sturdy, attractive, economical and yet non-toxic. It

must act as a physical barrier to protect food from contamination and must also preserve the

nutrients through avoiding interaction of food with oxygen, carbon dioxide and humidity.

Besides these the important properties of packaging material are their physical, chemical,

biological and thermal stability, impermeability to liquids and special properties like X-Ray

resilience.

Types of packaging

The type of packing depends on various factors e.g. food item, the process of production, and

quality of food, shelf life desired, transport considerations, etc. so it is important to consider

the shape, size, colour, stacking options, printing of labels, cost, environmental attributes (eg.

recyclability, carbon imprint), handling properties, etc.

Packaging Materials

Various packaging materials are in use. Some of the important ones are discussed here.

Glass: Glass is a popular packaging material, as it is non-toxic, non-leaching, easy to clean,

non-reactive to food/chemicals, non-porous and relatively cheap. It is environment friendly as

it can be re-used and also recycled. These attributes make it an ideal material, but for the fact

that it is breakable, heavy and brittle. It is used for production of bottles and jars and is

widely used for liquids and sauces. Cold drinks, alcohol, pickles, jams, ketchups and

squashes are commonly stored in glass bottles.

Aluminum: Aluminum is the most abundant metal on earth. It is light weight, lustrous,

reasonably strong, long lasting and re-cyclable. It has good barrier properties. It is used for
making cans, metallic trays and forms for ready-to-cook food that are resistant for high and

low temperatures, thus can be used for frozen and heated meals. Aluminum can be used as

foils for direct food packaging and also for lamination of paper or plastic for better strength,

heat stability and barrier against moisture, oils, air and odors. These are commonly used for

packaging soups, herbs and spices.

Plastic: Plastic is a generic term for many related synthetic materials that are commonly used

for food packaging. It is strong, long-lasting, light weight, air-tight and recyclable. Plastic

bags increase the shelf life and maintain the freshness of the product. Items that are extremely

moisture free can be stored in plastic bags for long. It may be transparent, so we don’t have to

open it to find out what’s inside. It can be used to make many types of packaging materials

like bags, wraps, bottles, tubs, buckets, containers, re-sealable pouches, etc. Being airtight,

bags can help to prevent food from getting soggy in humid areas. It has disadvantage of

being non-biodegradable. There are also concerns about leaching and diffusion of substances

like Bisphenol A and DEHA (diethylhexyl adipate) from plastics into food. that may be

carcinogenic.

Paper: Paper is an age-old packaging item, prepared from cellulose based materials (eg.

wood). It is permeable to air, water vapor and gases (oxygen). It has low tear strength. A

wide range of bags and boxes for different applications are prepared from paper. These are

used for carrying dry food stuff such as sugar, salt, flour, bread, etc. Paper can also be used to

make lightweight cartons that are used as a colorful outer cover for products packed in plastic

or metal containers. Various types of cans may also be made out of cardboard to store snacks,

spices, nuts, or even cups to drink liquids. Paper waste can be burned (with energy recovery),

recycled or biodegraded for composting.

Tetra packs: Classically, these were a tetrahedron shaped plastic-coated paper carton, with

aseptic packaging technology made possible even a cold chain supply, substantially

facilitating distribution and storage of dairy, beverages, cheese, ice creams, and prepared

foods.

Pouches: Various types of pouches prepared from high quality material that are durable and

environmental friendly are available. These are spout pouches, zipper pouches and printed

stand up pouches, reusable pouches, etc. Their attractive design enhances the appeal. In

addition they also have the food labeling: manufacturing date, expiry date, nutrient content,

logos, and messages etc.

Retort packaging: The retort pouch was invented by the United States Army Natick R&D

Command, Reynolds Metals Company, and Continental Flexible Packaging, A retort pouch is

made up of plastic and metal foil laminate pouch, with 3 or 4 wide seals usually created by

aseptic processing, allowing for the sterile packaging of a wide variety of drinks, that can

range from water to fully cooked, thermo-stabilized meals such as Meals, Ready-to-Eat that

can be eaten cold, warmed by submersing in hot water, or through the use of a heater, lighter

in weight and less expensive to ship. In this technique food which is first prepared (raw or

cooked) is sealed into the retort pouch. The pouch is then heated to 240-250°F (116-121°C)

for several minutes under high pressure, inside retort or autoclave machines. This process

reliably kills all commonly occurring microorganisms (particularly Clostridium botulinum),

preventing it from spoiling.

Aseptic packaging: This is a technique in which the contents of a package and the packaging

itself are sterilized separately.

Labelling

Entire chapter is dedicated to product labeling in this book.

Toxic Effects

Leaching: Some non-food grade packaging materials exert certain toxic effects on food. A

type of plastic, Polyethylene tetraphathalate (PET), is commonly used as bottles for soft

drinks, water and juices. Chemical such as antimony trioxide may leach into drinks from PET

bottles. Other toxins like Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) released may cause toxicity to

liver and is suspected to cause cancer in humans. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) used in clear food

packaging, has been described as a hazardous product, being an endocrine disruptor.

Polystyrene used in egg cartons, disposable coffee containers and packaging cheese and meat

in supermarkets, leaches chemical styrene which can cause developmental and reproductive

problems. Polycarbonates used in baby bottles, various food and drink containers contains

many chemicals including Bisphenol-A (BPA) that leach into food causing breast and

prostate cancer, insulin resistance and chromosomal damage. (US Environmental Protection

Agency, 2015)

Metallic contact: Certain metals (like Aluminum, Lead in olden days) may come in contact

of food and cause toxicity, like metallic taste.

Physical Agents: Physical agents like packaging pins, metal pieces, wooden shrapnel, etc can

prove hazardous, if fall in food and eaten.

Emerging Trends

There are many high technology driven innovative packaging trends that are emerging in te

industry today. Oxygen scavenging agents (eg Ferrous oxide, ascorbic acid, sulfites, catechol,

etc) that react with oxygen and reduce its concentration are being used. These would delay

the oxidative degradation of food (eg fruits), thus increasing their shelf life. Carbon dioxide

absorbers and emitters may be added to suppress microbial growth in fresh meat, poultry,

cheese, and baked goods. Hygroscopic agents can help to control moisture and water activity,

thus reducing microbial growth in products such as sweets and candy. Antimicrobials are

also used to enhance quality and safety by reducing surface contamination of processed food.

Self-heating packaging (calcium or magnesium oxide and water) generates an exothermic

reaction. It has been used for plastic coffee cans, military rations, and on-the-go meal platters.

Active and intelligent packaging: Time temperature indicators, ripeness indicators,

biosensors, and Radio Frequency Identification are the examples of intelligent packaging

components, that have a profound future.

Time temperature indicators integrate the time and temperature experienced by the

indicator and adjacent foods. Some use chemical reactions that result in a color change while

others use the migration of a dye through a filter media. To the degree that these physical

changes in the indicator match the degradation rate of the food, the indicator can help indicate

probable food degradation.

Radio Frequency Identification is applied to food packages for supply chain control and

has shown a significant benefit in allowing food producers and retailers create full real time

visibility of their supply chain, indicating for example the date of manufacture, time of
loading, temperature fluctuations during transit, time of unloading, etc, through a bar-code

like radio frequency sensor.

Nanotechnology: Nanotechnology involves characterization, fabrication and/or manipulation

of structures, devices or materials that are in 1-100 nm length range. This enhances polymer

barrier properties, making the material stronger, more flame resistant, with better thermal

properties and having favourable surface wettability and hydrophobicity. Nanotechnology

innovation could produce remarkably new packaging concepts for barrier and mechanical

properties, pathogen detection, and active and intelligent packaging.

Conclusion

Packaging is an integral part of food products, as it gives food the commercial shape, color,

texture, transit opportunity and also shelf-life! It helps to maintain the benefits of food

processing after the process is complete ,enabling food to travel to long distances. Labeling is

integral to packaging rendering all the relevant information about the product. Concerns of

cost and environmental degradation have to be always considered while selecting a particular

food-package. Enormous technological advances are on the anvil that will make the food

packaging almost as intelligent as the consumer.

References

1. Foodservice Packaging Institute, "A Brief History of Foodservice Packaging", 2006

2. Reducing wasted food and packaging: A Guide for food services and restaurants. US

Environmental Protection Agency.2015