Packaging

 According to the World Health Organization Report , product wastage before it reaches the
consumer is around 30-50% in less developed countries and 2-3% in developed countries
due to inadequate means of preservation, protection, storage and transportation.
 Less than 1% of packaged food goes to waste, compared with between 10% and 20% of
unpackaged food

Levels of packaging

There are three levels of packaging

 Primary Packaging: packaging in direct contact with the food. e.g. a bottle. It also includes
all packaging intended for retail sale e.g. multi-packaging.
 Secondary Packaging: Contains and collates primary packs. e.g. corrugated fibreboard tray.
 Tertiary Packaging: e.g. pallets, cages.

Packaging definition:

 A means of ensuring safe delivery of a product to the ultimate consumer at the right
time in sound condition at optimum cost and minimal waste.

Role of packaging:

 increase consumer appeal

 extend shelf-life
 prevent or retard microbial growth
  prevent contamination
 prevent evaporative/moisture losses
 reduce off-flavour development
 provide protection in distribution
 Provide convenience
 Presentation
 Promotion
 Brand communication
 Economy
 Environmental compatibility

Active packaging

 Active packaging refers to the incorporation of certain additives into packaging film
or containers with the aim of maintaining or extending product quality and shelf-life.
 e.g. the release of tin ions into certain canned foods to preserve colour: beans in
tomato sauce; “white fruits” such as peaches and pears

 Oxygen scavengers

 Ethylene absorbers

 Moisture regulators

 Ethanol emitters

 Carbon dioxides absorbers

 Preservative releasers

 Temperature control packaging

 Others: Antimicrobial AP films releasing sorbic acid, silver ions, wasabi

Modified Atmospheric Packaging

 MAP involves replacing the air in a food package with an artificial gas mixture in
order to prolong the shelf life of a food and improve its sensory characteristics.
 MAP is often used to retard microbial growth and it is usually used in combination
with chilled storage.
 MAP can also be applied to other situations e.g. prevent oxidation in packets of potato
crisps

Requirements of MAP

 Contain the product & gas (seal integrity)

 Be compatible with the food & non-toxic
 Withstand the packaging process
 Handle distribution stresses
 Prevent microbial, chemical and physical contamination
 Possess appropriate gas permeability

 3 main gases invloved in MAP : N2, CO2 and O2

 Typical approximate levels:

 Raw red meat: 70% O2 30% CO2

 Raw poultry: 80% O2 20% CO2

 White fish: 30% O2 40% CO2 30% N2

 Nitrogen (N2)

 is a relatively un-reactive gas with no odour, taste or colour.

 Has a lower density than air, non-flammable and has a low solubility in
water

 Used to displace air & in particular O2

 used to prevent pack collapse

 does not support the growth of aerobic microbes

 therefore inhibits the growth of aerobic spoilage

 does not prevent the growth of anaerobic bacteria

 Oxygen (O2)

 is a colourless, odourless gas that is highly reactive and supports

combustion.

 has a low solubility in water

 Oxygen promotes several types of deteriorative reactions in foods including

 fat oxidation,

 browning reactions and

 pigment oxidation.
 a low concentration of O2 can result in quality and safety problems

 unfavourable colour changes in red meat pigments,

 senescence in fruits and vegetables and

 Growth of food pathogens

 Carbon dioxide (CO2)

o Colourless gas

o Asphyxiant and slightly corrosive in the presence of moisture

o Readily dissolves in water (producing carbonic acid H 2CO3) which increases

the acidity of the solution and decrease pH

o The solubility of CO2 increases with decreasing temperature.

 the antimicrobial activity of CO2 is markedly greater at temperatures below 10°C than
at 15°C or higher.

 has potential for extending the shelf life of food stored at low
temperatures

 Carbon monoxide (CO)

 a colourless, tasteless and odourless gas

 highly reactive and very flammable.

 has a low solubility in water

 prevent browning in packed lettuce.

 Commercial application has been limited because of its toxicity and the formation of
potentially explosive mixtures with air.

Noble gases

 The noble gases are a family of elements characterised by their lack of

reactivity
  helium (He), argon (Ar), xenon (Xe) and neon (Ne).

 used in a number of food applications now

 potato-based snack products.

 difficult to see how the use of noble gases would offer any
preservation advantages compared with N2

MAP for meat products

 Clostridium botulinum is of most concern

because of the severity of illness it causes

because of its ability to grow at high levels of CO 2 and in the

absence of O2

Some strains of C. botulinum are known to produce toxins at

temperatures below 4°C

 Listeria monocytogenes and Yersinia enterocolitica are also of concern.

Both capable of slow growth at temperatures as low as 0°C, but are

inhibited significantly by high levels of CO2

 Above 8°C, other pathogens capable of tolerating high levels of CO 2 such as

Salmonella spp. and enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) may pose a risk to
the consumer

 MAP product must be held at temperature lower than 5°C

 MAP of fresh meats is generally considered less hazardous than MAP of ready-to-eat
foods because cooking (if correctly carried out) will kill all vegetative pathogens

MAP for dairy products

 Hard and semi-hard cheeses, such as cheddar, are commonly packed in 100% CO2 or
mixtures of CO2–N2
 MAP cheese packed in polypropylene film has a shelf life of up to 4 wk, compared to
only 14 to 15 d when packaged under normal conditions.

 The major effect of CO2 on cheeses is the inhibition of surface mould growth
although high CO2 MAP atmospheres have been shown to inhibit growth of lactic
and mesophilic bacteria

 The gas mixture typically used is 70% N2:30% CO2

 Elevated CO2 packaged cheese became dry and crumbly,

 and develop off-flavours, colours, and aromas due to

 increased photo-oxidation

MAP for fresh fruits and vegetables

 The background microflora is largely responsible for the spoilage of fresh produce
and can vary greatly for each product and storage conditions.

 The elimination or significant inhibition of spoilage organisms should not be

practiced, as their interaction with pathogens may play an integral role in product
safety.

 O2 is used to control the growth of aerobic organisms by keeping very low levels (1-
5%) to reduce the respiration rate of fruits and vegetables.

 modified atmospheres may inhibit organisms that usually warn consumers of

spoilage, while the growth of pathogens may be encouraged.

 slow growing pathogens may further increase in numbers due to the extension of shelf
life.

 Currently, there is concern with:

 psychrotrophic foodborne pathogens:

 such as L. monocytogenes, Yersinia entercolitica and Aeromonas hydrophila,

 non-proteolytic C. botulinum,
 Salmonella spp., E. coli O157:H7 and Shigella spp.

MAP for fresh cut produce

 The success and microbiological safety of MAP is dependent on controlled low

temperature storage and the product's characteristics.
 Only two MAP produce products, coleslaw mix and ready-to- eat salad
vegetables, have been implicated in foodborne illness outbreaks of botulism
and Salmonella Newport, respectively

Intelligent Packaging

Intelligent Packaging: a type of packaging that senses the quality and/or safety of
packaged food and transmits this information to the outside world.

Diagnostic: (Time temperature indicator)TTIs, “Doneness”, Freshness, Gas

detectors, Physical damage

Communication Technologies e.g. RFID