Roles, Materials and Environmental Issues of Food Packaging

Food packaging serves multiple purposes, allowing it to be transported long distances safely and stored for long periods of time. It is important for manufacturers to balance between safety issues and other factors such as costs and keeping an eco-friendly perspective. Many consumers are paying closer attention to environmental issues that are involved with packaging technology. 

Roles of Food Packaging 

1. Food Protection

The primary reason for packaging is to make sure the food retains its flavor and nutrients. Some of the secondary purposes of packaging involve traceability, convenience and tamper resistance. Effective materials preserve the chemical, biological and physical nature of the product. The packaging must be designed to prevent the food from exposure to gases such as oxygen, moisture or light. 

2. Contain the Food

Food containers contribute to preserving food so that it doesn't go to waste. Studies show that a higher percentage of fresh foods go to waste than packaged foods. Glass and metal can provide a strong barrier from reactive chemical elements. Certain barriers such as closures on bottles are designed to be child-resistant. 

3. Retain Processing Benefits

The quality of the food must not only be preserved, the packaging must increase the food quality. Air tight packaging is essential for food to maintain its marketable properties. Ultimately, the longer the package can extend the shelf life of the product, the better. Ideally the material is recyclable and can be used over and over.

4. Provide Marketing Information

Another important reason for the package is that it gives consumers plenty of information about the product. A package represents the image of a product that stays in people's minds. It's what initially attracts consumer attention in a store. Factors that affect a package's visual impact include shape, size and color. The information on the package communicates important data such as contents and contact information.

5. Tamper Resistance

Due to tampering of food and pharma products, special packaging is used to provide extra protection so that packages cannot be tampered with in stores. Tamper-evident features, which are usually comprised of additional packing materials, may involve special bottle liners or closures. A heat seal that changes color upon opening is an example of an additional packaging feature.

Materials Used In Chocolates, Biscuits and Confectionery

1. Glass

Historically, glass has been used in food packaging for centuries, going back to ancient times. It is a strong insulator and provides transparency for consumers to evaluate the product. Many times glass is surface-coated to provide lubrication for certain foods. These coatings help strengthen bottles from breaking, which opens the door to using lighter weight, thinner glass. 

2. Metal

The reason metal is popular is its versatility in packaging. Not only does it provide solid physical protection, metal is recyclable and can be shaped many different ways. The top metals used for packaging are aluminum and steel. Aluminum is commonly used to make cans and foil, which help guard against microorganisms, corrosion, moisture, air, odors and light. The main downside to aluminum is its higher cost compared with other metals. 

Tinplate, a product of low-carbon steel, is still widely used in Europe. It is coated with special material to help protect food from gases, light, odors and water vapor. The tin-plate is also heat-treated and sealed hermetically, which keeps products sterile. Since tin is flexible, it can be used to form many different shapes such as tin round cans. From an environmental perspective, tinplate is very sustainable since it can be recycled over and over without loss of quality.

3. Plastics

A key reason why plastics are widely used in packaging is that the material is fluid and modable. Plastics can take on many forms from sheets to structures, allowing for design flexibility. Other reasons that plastics are popular include they are chemically resistant, affordable and lightweight. The material is easy to be printed on and is heat sealable. Due to durability, plastic helps extend shelf life.

While there have been some safety concerns about certain components of plastics, such as bisphenol A, low cost and functional properties keep it a viable type of packaging. There are about 30 types of plastics used in commercial packaging, with polyolefins and polyesters being the most common. PETE, made from polyethylene terephthalate, is becoming the top choice in packaging made from polyester, used for bottles, jars, tubs, trays and food wrappers. 

4. Paper 

Paper and paperboards as sheet materials have been used in food packaging for over three centuries. They are used to make corrugated boxes, milk cartons and tissue paper, as well as plates and cups. Even though paper is not a reliable material for protecting food for long periods, it can be used for short-term purposes. Since it's not heat sealable, plain paper is not a useful material for long-term packaging and must usually be treated with coating, laminating, waxes or other material to provide limited protection.

Source Preservation and Waste Reduction

Manufactures are now expected to take a more active role in using sustainable materials in packaging. Materials that are easily recycled are gaining favor, while materials that generate waste are being used less and less. Food producers must analyze their processes to help refine goals of sustainability so that packaging is as efficient as possible at protecting food and the environment. 

Conclusion 

Packaging plays many roles beyond protecting chocolates, biscuits and confectionery. It is what most consumers initially see in the purchasing process, which is why marketers try to come up with innovative ways to make the package stand out from competitors. A package must contribute to both the product's safety and marketability. In recent decades, sustainability has become an important factor in promoting the brand's image as environmentally responsible.