Introduction to Packaging

Arti Pillay
Packaging
Definition (Glossary of packaging terms, 1997)
The enclosure of products, items or packages in a wrapped
pouch,bag,box,cup,tray,can,tube,bottle or other container form to
perform one or more of the following function:
• Containment
• Protection
• Preservation
• Communication
• Utility
• Performance
Package , Packaging, Packing
Package – physical entity that contains the product.

Packaging – defined above

Packing – the enclosing of an individual item(or several items) in a

package or container.
Why is Packaging Important ?
• Packaging is very pervasive and essential
• It surrounds , enhances and protects the goods from processing and
manufacturing, through handling and storage, to the final consumer.
• Without packaging material handling would be :
• Messy
• Inefficient
• Costly exercise
• Modern consumer marketing will be virtually impossible
Levels of Packaging
Primary Packaging
Example: metal cans, paper board cartons, glass bottles and plastic
pouches.
• Direct contact with the contained product.
• Provides initial and usually the major protective barrier.
• Frequently primary packaged products are purchased by consumers
at a retail outlets.
Levels of Packaging
Secondary Packaging
Example : a corrugated case or box, contains a number of primary
packages.
• Is the physical distribution carrier
• Increasingly designed to be used in retail outlets for display of
primary packages (shelf ready).
Levels of Packaging
Tertiary Packaging
Example : stretch wrap pallet of corrugated cases.
• Made up of a number of secondary packages.
Levels of Packaging
Quaternary Package
• For International, interstate or inter city trade.
• Used to facilitate the handling of tertiary packaging.

Example : a metal container up to 40m in length , can hold many

pallets, is intermodal in nature, can be transferred to fro from ships,
trains and flatbed trucks by giant cranes.
Certain containers also have specific conditions such as temperature,
humidity and gas atmosphere control.
Levels of Packaging
Functions of Packaging
• Packaging is a socio-scientific discipline which ensures delivery of
goods to the ultimate consumer of those goods in the best condition
appropriate for their use.
• Packing involves the enclosure of products in a package such as a
pouch, bag, box, cup, tray, can, tube, bottle or other container form to
perform one or more of the following functions:
1. containment
2. protection
3. Convenience
4. communication.
1. Containment
• With exception of large and discrete packages, all other
packages must be contained before they can be moved
from one place to another.
• The package e.g bottle of milk or packet of chip must
contain the product successfully.
• Without containment, product loss and pollution would be
widespread.
• Containment function of package makes a huge function to
protecting the environment from numerous products that
are moved from one place to another.
• Faulty packaging (under-packaging) could result in major
pollution of the environment e.g leaking of content
especially around closures and seals.
2. Protection
• Regarded as primary function of the package
• The package must protect its contents from outside environmental effects, be
they water, water vapour, gases, odours, micro-organisms, dust, shocks,
vibrations, compressive forces, etc., and protect the environment from the
product.
• For many food products, the protection afforded by the package is an essential
part of the preservation process.
• In general, once the integrity of the package is breached, the product is no longer
preserved.
Example
1. Aseptically packaged milk and fruit juices in paperboard cartons only remain
septic for as long as the package provides protection.
2. Vacuum-packaged meat will not achieve its desired shelf life if the package
permits O2 to enter.
3. Convenience
• Modern industrialized societies have created a demand for
greater convenience in foods; e.g. foods that are pre-
prepared and can be consumed outside the home or
cooked/reheated in a very short time, preferably without
removing them from their primary package
• Sauces, dressings and condiments that can be applied
simply through pump-action packages which minimise
mess.
• Thus packaging plays an important role in allowing products
to be used conveniently.
• The shape (relative proportions)of the primary package is
related to convenience of use by consumers (e.g. easy to
hold, open, pour, reclose) and efficiency in building into
secondary and tertiary packages.
4.Communication
• Modern methods of consumer marketing would fail were it not for
the messages, graphics, distinctive shapes, branding and labelling
communicated by the package, enabling consumers to instantly
recognize and correctly use products.
• The package must function as a silent sales person.
• Nutritional information labelling has become mandatory in many
countries.
• Manufacturer details , use by , expiry dates and product storage and
use information are communicated through packages.
• Modern scanning equipment at retail checkout counters relies on
universal product code (UPC) that can be read accurately and rapidly.
• Warehouses and distribution center rely Example of UPC code
on proper labelling for distribution. .
• UPC are essential for distribution and
international trade especially where
different languages are spoken , use of
unambiguous readily understood
symbols on the package becomes
imperative.
• UPCs are frequently used in warehouses
where handheld barcode readers linked
to a computer make stocktaking quick
and efficient.
• RFID tags attached to secondary and
tertiary packages are now
revolutionizing the supply chain.
TUTORIAL
1. Using suitable products as examples explain the levels of packaging
from initial packaging to retail
2. Using suitable examples explain how packaging can perform the
following function:
• Communication.
• Protection
• Convenience
3. What does UPC stand for and why is it a crucial component in
packaging?
4. Differentiate between packaging and packing?
5. List down the standard labelling requirements for food packing in Fiji.