Food Packaging: Materials, Types & Recycling

FOOD PACKAGING   Why package?   1. Physical Protection—contaminants  2. Barrier Protection—oxygen, moisture, odors  3. Containment/Agglomeration—powders, liquids  4. Portion Control  5. Convenience  6. Security—tamper resistant, tamper evident  7. Marketing a...

FOOD PACKAGING   Why package?   1. Physical Protection—contaminants  2. Barrier Protection—oxygen, moisture, odors  3. Containment/Agglomeration—powders, liquids  4. Portion Control  5. Convenience  6. Security—tamper resistant, tamper evident  7. Marketing and information—brand labels, nutrition facts, uses, contacts, recycling info  Metal--Cans  Excellent barrier to light and oxygen Fast-heating Thin--“beads”added for strength Steel and tin used Inside plastic coating—based on food type so it is non-reactive Used for fruits, vegetables, meats, soups  Metal--Cans  Aluminum 2-piece Used for soft drinks and other foods Flexible Excellent barrier Cheaper and lighter weight than steel Aluminum—less reactive than tin  Glass  Non-reactive Product is visible Heavy Breakable Can be different colors Used for beverages, sauces, premium fruits and veggies  Reusable Packaging  Home-canning Jars Cardboard Boxes and Cases Glass soda bottles—in the past, a deposit was charged and then refunded when bottles returned Glass and hard plastic milk jugs (Weigel’s)—in the past Evolution of Coke bottle   Recyclable Packaging  Glass, Aluminum, Plastics, Steel, Paper Some states charge a deposit for recyclable containers to get people to recycle instead of throwing them away More facilities than in the past Must have use for the recycled material Must separate materials to recycle  Plastics  Derived from petroleum Price fluctuations Heat-sealable properties Can accept zipper-style closures— Cheese, dried foods, snack foods Can fuse with metal layers—Ketchup packets Form, Fill, and Seal Packaging  Foodonline.com Pkgsys.com  Form, Fill and Seal   Pouch and bagged items  Cheese, salads, chips, condiments  Laminates can be used  Items are filled and sealed simultaneously  Packaging Videos   Video for you to see how form and fill works;  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR0oGNfY-fk  Videos on a new type of edible packaging film:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w31MeDv6W 5A  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt32GgQGTcI  Plastics--#1  PET or PETE—Polyethylene Terephthalate Soft drink and water bottles, peanut butter, salad dressing, vegetable oils, ovenable food trays  Plastics--#1  Good gas and moisture barrier Inexpensive and lightweight; See-through Low risk of leaching Easily recycled Products have shorter shelf-life than in glass or Al Carbonated beverages will “go flat” in 2 years Can be recycled for food uses  Plastics--#2  HDPE-High Density Polyethylene Milk jugs, butter and yogurt containers, cereal box liners, trash bags, other bags  Plastics--#2  Not as good a barrier as PET Low cost Opaque—not completely see-through Low risk of leaching  Plastics--#3  PVC—Polyvinyl Chloride Pipes, cooking oil bottles, some clear food films  Plastics--#3  Most porous in thin layers Stretchable as a film—may be used inside cans Tough More expensive than PE and vinyl and is more toxic Not used very much in foods due to possible Chlorine leaching  Plastics--#4  LDPE—Low Density Polyethylene Squeeze bottles, bread bags, grocery bags, stretch wraps, trash bags  Plastics--#4  Flexible Less of a barrier than HDPE Lower cost than HDPE LLDPE-Linear LDPE-stronger material  Plastics-#5  PP—Polypropylene Syrup and ketchup bottles, some yogurt containers, bottle caps  Plastics--#5  Cheaper to produce than PE More rigid than PE High melting point—good for liquids that must be filled hot Often used in clothing  Plastics--#6  PS—Polystyrene Egg cartons, meat trays, carry-out containers  Plastics--#6  Can be rigid or foam Styrofoam—brand name Not usually recyclable Foam type—cannot be heated; melts easily  Plastics--#7  Other Water-cooler bottles  Plastics--#7  May be mixed materials Non-recyclable Can possibly leach toxins May wind up in landfills or be burned where toxic fumes can be removed  Other Plastics   PVDC—Polyvinylidene Chloride  Developed by Dow Chemical  “Saran” wrap  One of the best barriers  Common in frozen food packages  Due to concerns about chlorine, now “Saran” is made with LDPE—but has a higher oxygen permeability which shortens shelf life  Other Plastics   EVAL-Ethylene Vinyl Acetate  Good low-temp properties and clinginess  Used for produce bags, wraps, and frozen foods  EVOH-Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol  Used for rigid and semi-rigid retortable containers  Best oxygen barrier—may be laminated between other plastics  Molds well and can print easily on it  Difficult to make and expensive 40 % Post-consumer recycled content 70% Less Material than Glass Breakaway cap eliminates need for PVC Shrink-Wrap around lid  PET trays replaced with PP + Calcium Carbonate=15% less weight and 40% less plastic