Packaging & Storage

Packaging – General Information & Functions

Controlled Atmosphere Storage (CAS)
Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)
Smart/Active Packaging
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 Packaging - Functions
• Containment – hold and keep materials secured until they are used
• Protection – protect against mechanical and environmental hazards during storage,
distribution and use
• Communication – highlighting contents, handling, storing and usage instructions
• Convenience – easy handling during production, storage, distribution and easy
opening/dispensing for consumers
• Machinability – to have good performance on production lines without many
stoppages

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 Factors that Cause Food Deterioration During
Storage
• Light
• Heat
• Moisture and gases
• Microorganisms, insects, animals and soil
• Mechanical impact

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 Light
• Light transmission is required to display the content, but
restricted for foods that are susceptible to deterioration by light
(eg. natural pigments and lipid are sensitive to light).

• To reduce light transmission on transparent glass and polymer

films, these materials can be incorporated with pigments/over-
wrapped with paper labels/printed on the surface/put in boxes.

• Amount of light absorbed by food can be calculated using :

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 Heat
• Insulating effect of a package is determined by its thermal conductivity
and reflectivity. Material with low thermal conductivity reduces
conductive heat transfer meanwhile reflective material reflects heat.
Nevertheless, the better way to protect food from heat is to control the
storage temperature.

• In application where the package is heated, the packaging material must

also able to withstand the processing condition without damage and
without interaction with food.

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 Moisture and Gases
• Moisture exchange need to be controlled to prevent microbiological/enzymatic spoilage,
drying out or softening of food, condensation on the inside of packages (resulting mold
growth – bread, fresh vegetables) and freezer burn.

• Dehydrated product – must use low permeability to moisture packaging (to avoid
moisture uptake, crispiness loss & microbial growth)

• Food with lipid and other oxygen sensitive components – must use packaging with
appropriate barrier to oxygen

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 Microorganisms, insects, animals and
soils
• Main causes for microbial contamination of adequately processed food are :
- contaminated air or water drawn through pinholes in hermetically sealed
containers
- inadequate heat seals in polymer films caused by contamination of the seal
with product or faulty heat sealer settings
- poorly sealed lids or caps
- damage such as tears or creases to the packaging material
• All types of pack should protect food from dust and soil.
• Metal, glass and some flexible films protect from pest infestation.
• Metal and glass protect from rodents and birds.
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 Mechanical Impact
• Mechanical damage of packaging
crushing – due to stacking
abrasion- due to rubbing against equipment or handling
puncturing/fracturing – due to handling
vibration – due to transport
• It is best to know the strength of the packaging materials so that the chosen material
will assist in protecting the food. The strength of materials for packaging can be
assessed using tests on tensile strength, Young’s modulus, tensile elongation, yield
strength, and impact strength.
• Sometimes, cushioning (tissue paper, foamed polymer, paper pulp) is also applied
with the packaging to give extra protection.
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 Types of Packaging Materials
(primary, secondary and tertiary packaging)
• Primary packaging
• Secondary Packaging
• Tertiary Packaging

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 Textiles and Wood
• Poor gas and moisture barrier
• Poor insect barrier
• Not suited for high-speed filling
• Traditionally used for transporting solid (eg.fruits, vegetables,
tea) and liquids (eg. liquor).
• Characteristics – good mechanical protection, good stacking,
high vertical compression strength-to-weight ratio.
• Currently replaced by PP and PE as these are cheaper materials.

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 Metals
• Impermeable to light, moisture, odour and microorganisms,
can withstand high temperature and low temperature, can
be recycled, good for speed filling
• Expensive material and process cost, heavy thus high
transportation cost
• Types : Three-piece can (eg. sardine, fruit cocktail)
two-piece can (carbonated drink)

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 Metals
• Aerosol can (two-piece or three-piece can) is can
fitted with a valve. This can contains propellant
gas (nitrous oxide, argon, nitrogen, carbon
dioxide). The can strength is 1.5 times higher than
the vapour pressure of the filled aerosol.
• Aluminium – foil wrapper, lid, cup, tray, pouches
etc. Advantages : good gas and moisture barrier,
good weight : strength ratio, impermeable to
light, moisture, odour, mo, high quality surface
for decorating or printing, can be laminated with
paper or plastic, has value as scrap.

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 Glass
• Glass is made by heating mixture of sand, cullet,
soda ash and limestone to 1350 – 1600 C. The
molten glass then is shaped through blow and
blow process or press and blow process .
• Advantages : impermeable to moisture, gas,
odour and mo , inert and do not react or migrate
to food, suitable for heat processing when
hermetically sealed, good for speed filling (better
than can),re-usable and recyclable, microwave
transparent.
• Disadvantages : Heavy, food hazard (glass
fragments), easily fracture and thermal shock
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 Flexible Films
• Flexible film – non fibrous plastic polymers which are less
than 0.25 mm thick.
• Types : laminated film, coated film, coextruded film,
edible and biodegradable film
• Laminated film – two or more films laminated together to
improve barrier properties, mechanical strength and
appearance. (better for long-term used)
• Coated film – film coated with other polymers or
aluminium to improve barrier and to impart heat
sealability.
• Co-extruded film – simultaneous extrusion of two or
more layers of different polymers to form single film.
(cannot be separated)
• Edible and biodegradable film – thin material coated or
wrapped around food to act as barrier to surrounding
environment and can be consumed.
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 Rigid and Semi-Rigid Containers
• Produced from single or co-extruded polymers and normally are
shaped into bottles, jars, tubs, cups and trays.

• Can be used to replace containers made by glass and metal.

• Advantages (compared to metal and glass) :

- low weight, save transportation cost
- produce at lower temperature, lower
energy cost
- can be molded into wider range of shapes
- tough and unbreakable
- easy to seal
- easily colored for aesthetic appeal and UV-light protection
- low production cost compared to metal and glass
- have greater chemical resistance than metal
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 Paper and Boards
• Advantages of paper packaging :
- Can be produced in many grades, different opacity,
and can be converted into many forms
- can be recycled and it is biodegradable
- can be combined with other materials to make
coated or laminated packs

• Disadvantages of paper packaging :

- poor barrier to oxygen, light and microbes, thus shorter food shelf-life
- takes up more space in landfill, often ends up in landfill

• Boards are thicker paper with the function to protect food from mechanical
damage

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 Food Labelling
requirement may vary (based on country)

Food name
Nutritional information
Ingredients and additive information
Weight
Expiry date and production date
Storage instructions
Preparation instruction, precaution
Manufacturer name
GMP/HACCP logo (may be)

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 Controlled Atmosphere Storage (CAS)
and Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)

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 Introduction to CAS and MAP
• Is a condition where the atmosphere surrounding food is modified or controlled to increase shelf-
life of food.

• Sufficient O2 can promote bacterial and mold growth, insect growth, oxidation and biochemical
and enzymatic activities. Normal air composition : 21 % O2, 78 % N2, 0.035% CO2.
• Therefore the atmosphere surrounding the food needs to be modified or controlled by increasing
the CO2 and reducing of O2 (within specified limit). This can :
• - inhibit bacterial and mold growth
• - protect against insect infestation
• - reduce moisture loss
• - reduce oxidative changes
• - control biochemical and enzymatic activities (slow down senescence and ripening)
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 Introduction to CAP & MAP
•Rate of respiration and inhibition of microbial and pest growth can be done when concentration of oxygen is reduced and concentration
of carbon dioxide is increased in the storage atmosphere surrounding of food.

•Respiring food – fruits, vegetables, fermented food of microbial activity, live seafood.

•Respiration – is the process which sugars and oxygen converts into carbon dioxide, water and energy/heat.

•Rate of food deterioration related to respiration. High respiration, high deterioration rate (short shelf-life).

•How to control respiration during packaging and storage? Must use controlled/modified atmosphere or cool temperatures or waxy
coatings. Heat must be removed if not it will burn the sugars and cause flavour/quality loss and decay.

•Climactaric fruits – produces ethylene – ripening hormone – which need to be controlled as well during storage. This can be done by
lowering the temperature, reduce humidity in air and controlled atmosphere. Climactaric fruits – fruits that have capacity to continue
ripening after separated from plant at completion of their growth period (eg. banana, mango, papaya, durian, apple). Non-climacteric
fruits – can ripen fully only if they are allowed to remain to the parent plant. (watermelon, grape, orange, strawberry, cherry)

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 Controlled Atmosphere Storage (CAP)
• Composition of gas (O2, CO2 and ethylene) around the respiring food is monitored and constantly
controlled.

• For successful storage, do not mix fruits as different fruits require different atmospheres.
Apple Bramley – air storage – 3 months shelf-life
- CA (8% CO2, 13 % O2, 79 % N2) – 5 months shelf-life
- CA (1% CO2, 1 % O2, 98 % N2) – 8 months shelf-life
• Storage can be done by using air-tight stores, sealed using metal cladding and sealed doorways, air vents
and scrubbers. The atmosphere is monitored via sensors.

• Limitations – high cost, the controlled atmosphere can lead to increase in ethylene production, the low
level of O2 and high level of CO2 are harmful for other foods, incorrect gas combination may change
biochemical activities in tissues that lead to off-odours, off-flavours and anaerobic respiration, and fruits
have different CA requirement.
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Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)

• Uses of gases to replace air around non-respiring food without further controls
after packing or storing. Nowadays, it is also used for respiring food
(fruit/vegetable/meat/fish).
• Respiring food – to minimize respiration and senescence
Non-respiring food – to prevent spoilage microorganisms growth, oxidation
• Common gases used are N2, O2 and CO2.
• Carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, argon, helium, chlorine are eliminated due to
safety, cost and impact on food quality.
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• The changes of gas composition during storage depends on :
- respiration rate of fresh food, temperature of storage, permeability of
packaging material to water vapour and gases, external relative humidity, surface area of
the
pack relative to amount of food it contains.

• In MAP, the most important is the permeability of packaging material to water vapour
and gases. Typical film used are PET, PP, PE, PVDC, EVOH and nylons. Inside film is
normally coated with antifogging agent to disperse droplets of moisture and permit food
to be visible.

• In MAP process, air is removed from the pack and replaced with modified/controlled gas
mixtures and then heat sealed.
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 Smart/Active Packaging
• Edible moisture/oxygen barrier to prevent enzymatic
browning
• Potassium permanganate sachet as ethylene
scavengers (ethylene – speed up the ripening process)
• Iron sachet as oxygen scavengers to prevent lipid
oxidation
• Zeolite film/sachet to inactivate microorganisms
• Sulphur dioxide film to prevent mold growth on
grapes.
• Propylene glycol/diatomaceous film to absorb water
and injure bacteria on surface of fresh meat or fish.

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 Smart/Active
Packaging

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