Food Packaging Concepts Quiz

Food Packaging

• Food packaging is a discipline of food technology focusing on the composition, materials, and integration of functional components in packaging to optimize shelf life.
• Key areas of focus include optimal packaging composition for food products in relation to required shelf-life and sustainable materials, improving barrier properties to protect against oxygen, light, and moisture intrusion.
• Additionally, microbial packaging considerations and minimizing food losses through full concept packaging are crucial.

Introduction

• The presenter is a professor in food packaging technology (50%) and a director of Pack4Food (50%).
• Their focus at Ghent University is on optimal packaging composition, sustainable materials, and functional components for required shelf life and barrier properties.
• Prof. Dr. ir. Peter Ragaert works at Ghent University, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, in the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering.

Pack4Food

• Pack4Food is an organization involved in both industry and research institutes related to food packaging.
• It covers stages from raw materials to retail, encompassing filling systems, food, printing, and packaging.

Pack4Food Members

• The slide shows a list of diverse food companies, machinery providers, and packaging firms that are members of Pack4Food.

What is Packaging?

• Presentation highlights the problem of global plastic pollution in waterways and on beaches, emphasizing that packaging is needed to preserve food for its journey to the consumer to minimize food spoilage and waste..
• Packaging is also vital for protection, convenience, and optimal storage conditions for preserving food during transit including temperature and humidity control.

What is Packaging? (Continued)

• Packaging encompasses different types, such as primary, secondary, and tertiary.
• They serve various functions, such as offering protection, convenience, and sustainability.

What is Packaging? (Continued)

• The visual aids illustrate a wide variety of packaging, from grocery storage to food containers for transport in various environments.
• The presenter emphasizes the complex interactions between food properties, packaging materials, and filling systems impacting the quality and safety of consumer goods.
• Packaging is crucial for preserving food quality, safety, and extending its useful life.

Packaging Within the Food Industry

• Includes factors influencing shelf life such as oxygen, light, water activity.
• The correct selection of packaging and packaging machines are crucial.
• Primary packaging is the part of a product's packaging that directly contacts the product.

Factors Determining Shelf Life

• Protection factors considered are rodents, insects, deteriorative reactions, oxidation processes (O2), water, and light.
• Key properties influencing shelf life include microbiological stability, chemical stability, O2, light, H2O, desired shelf life, and storage conditions.
• Packaging is only effective when the food product starts ideally, meaning it's quality must be good.
• Determining factors for shelf life are oxygen, chemical reactions, enzymatic reactions, microbiological growth, water (aw, relative humidity), and light (UV and visible).

Types of Packaging (Market Share)

• Key packaging materials include metal, glass, paper/wood, and plastics..
• Paper and Paperboard and plastics make up approximately 70% of the market.
• The other approximately 30% includes metal and glass..
• Data from Rexam (2011) was used for the pie chart to identify the market share of packaging materials.

Composition of Packaging

• Packaging materials frequently use basic resources like metal, glass, paper, paperboard, and polymers.
• Modifications, Additives (anti-fog components), Orientation (PP vs OPP vs BOPP), Multi-layer packaging (lamination), Inks, and glues are included in the composition.

Metal Packaging

• Metal packaging commonly includes steel, aluminum, and tin.
• Common applications for metal packaging include cans (steel+tin), closures (steel+tin), and trays or foil (aluminum).
• Metal's properties result in high mechanical strength and low toxicity with excellent barrier properties and temperature resistance combined with design for decoration and integration with other materials.

Glass Packaging

• Silica, other raw materials, and coloring agents are components for creating glass for packaging.
• Glass packaging is used for bottles (e.g. drinks) and cans (e.g., sterilized food products).
• It provides excellent barrier properties to gas and water, along with temperature resistance.

Paper and Paperboard Packaging

• Raw materials for paper consist of pulp from separating plant fibers reformed into sheets.
• Treatments such as calendering, adhesives, coatings, pigments are used to create paper or paperboard packaging.
• Types of paper, such as paper, paperboard, and corrugated board, and their applications are mentioned.
• Different types of primary packaging, and specifically beverage cartons (coated with LDPE), are highlighted. Secondary and tertiary packaging are also part of the presentation.

Plastics

• Plastics are commonly used as packaging materials.
• Common forms are polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), PVC, polystyrene (PS), PVDC and polyamide (PA), and others.
• There are different classifications and applications.

Plastics: Polyolefins

• Polyethylene (PE) is a versatile plastic frequently used for packaging due to its deep-freeze resistance, flexibility, and a range of density.
• Polypropylene (PP) is known for its heat resistance (up to 125°C), transparency as a film, and good barrier properties.
• Important data for barrier properties for different materials is presented.

Barrier Properties of Plastics

• Data from various materials (e.g., PE, OPP, MOPP, PVDC/OPP, PA/EVOH/PA/PE, OPA/PP, OPA/EVOH/OPA/PP, PET, PET-SiOx) are given for their impact on OTR (oxygen transmission rate) and WVTR (water vapor transmission rate).

Plastics: EVOH

• Ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH) is a key component in multilayer packaging designs due to its superior barrier properties against gases, odors, and solvents, and hydrophilic nature, enabling effective moisture absorption.
• EVOH is often incorporated into other materials based on multilayer applications.
• Examples include polymers like PET/PE/EVOH/PE, which combines the strengths of the different layers.

Plastics: Polyesters

• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a widely used polyester often seen in bottles.
• The packaging material has excellent transparency, which is largely amorphous, while also possessing controlled crystallization properties.
• Characteristics and applications for PET are covered.

Plastics: PS

• Polystyrene (PS) is discussed as an amorphous material with diverse forms, including High-Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) for thermoforming and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) for foam applications.
• Specific examples of PS application in food packaging (i.e., trays for meat/produce) are given.

Plastics: PVDC

• Polyvinylidene chloride (PVdC) is known for its specific combination of low permeability/barriers to water vapor and other gases, odors, greases, and alcohols.
• It is frequently found in multilayer packaging components.
• An example application is packaging dry biscuits.

Plastics: PA

• Polyamide (PA) is also known as nylon.
• It offers good gas barrier properties, excellent thermal stability, and high mechanical strength, but is highly permeable to water vapor.

Packaging: Migration

• EU 1935/2004 regulations for all food contact materials regulate the transference of substances to minimize hazards to public health and organoleptic properties.
• EU 10/2011 regulations are specific to plastics considering substances for food container production.
• Specific migration limits (SML) are also considered.

Packaging: Measuring Migration (OML)

• Simulants such as 10% ethanol, 3% acetic acid, 20% ethanol, and 50% ethanol for acidic, alcoholic, and fatty foods are presented.
• Vegetable oil (MPPO) is a simulant for dry foods.
• OML (Overall Migration Limit) is presented in the context of measuring packaging migration.

Packaging: Measuring Migration (SML)

• Specific migration limits (SML) are determined by the specifics of the compounds stated in the positive list of PIM.
• SML is calculated from the temperature, packaging materials, and thickness.

Communication

• Consumer behavior and preferences are significant factors to consider regarding communication strategy and packaging design.
• Legislation influencing packaging and product labels are present.
• Augmented Reality and NFC technologies are presented as examples of modern communication methods in food packaging.

Example Technical Paper (1): BicorTM 32MB768 Oriented Polypropylene Film

• This is a technical paper detailing the composition and advantages of a specific packaging type with a focus on the benefits of a particular material (oriented polypropylen film) in the context of creating barriers to moisture, gas, and odors.

Example Technical Paper (2)

• Data illustrating various physical properties of the material (e.g. heat seal range, coefficient of friction, water vapor, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen transmission rates) are provided.

Packaging Machines

• Several types of packaging machines (e.g., Form-Fill-Seal (FFS), Tray Sealers, Flowpack Machine, Chamber Machines, and Bottle/Can Filling Systems) are described in detail.

Aseptic Packaging

• Aseptic packaging techniques are described to maintain the sterility of containers and products to extend the shelf life of packaged products at room temperature.

Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)

• The principles of modifying food packaging atmosphere (MAP) are discussed.
• Active and passive methods used in modifying food storage environments are also presented.

MAP: Used Gases

• CO2 and O2 are discussed as important gases used in the MAP process. Specific properties and implications (including risks) are presented.
• The applications for differing gas mixtures and products (i.e. fruits and vegetables, red meat, fish) are described.

MAP: Applications

• Choice of packaging materials (e.g., EVOH, PA, aluminum, metallized coatings, PVdC) and materials, such as trays, cups, and bottles, relevant to the type of product packaged are described.
• Key characteristics of the materials relating to the MAP process (i.e. thermal stability) are evaluated and provided as an example for how the different materials used in the MAP process are discussed.
• Example thicknesses of various films for combining different materials are presented.

Typical Packaging Materials for MAP

• Various food product packaging materials are discussed considering applications for thermoformed trays, lid films, and pouches in the context of MAP.
• Different thicknesses are provided for the purpose of material combination considerations.

Typical Gas Mixtures for MAP

• Typical gas mixtures for MAP are detailed.
• Examples include different percentages of oxygen and carbon dioxide for specific products such as fresh red meat and cured meats.

Packaging - Sustainability

• Key messages discuss the need to consider the food products and relevant packaging, along with the importance of optimizing packaging optimization and the responsibility of all stakeholders involved throughout the different stages of the supply chain.
• Different strategies for collection, sorting, and recycling of packaging materials/products are discussed.
• Important aspects to maintain are food quality and food safety concerning products.

Collection - Sorting – Recycling

• Efficient system strategies for collection, sorting, and recycling of packaging materials are explained in detail, such as important roles in policy and consumer actions..
• Specific techniques and approaches including the use of unique codes, tracers, and digital watermarks to improve recycling processes are introduced.

Packaging - Bioplastics

• Bioplastics materials are described, along with their properties.
• The factors related to resources and end-of-life properties relating to the concept of bio-based, compostable, and bioplastic packaging are presented.

Convenience - Heat Resistance

• A review of the important property of heat resistance related to convenience aspects of food, including trays and packaging materials and their suitability for microwave or classical oven applications.