FOOD PACKAGING MATERIALS

FOOD PACKAGING MATERIALS PACKAGING IS THE SCIENCE , ART AND TECHNOLOGY OF ENCLOSING OR PROTECTING PRODUCTS FOR DISTYRIBUTION, STORAGE, SALE, AND USE....
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FOOD PACKAGING MATERIALS

PACKAGING IS THE SCIENCE , ART AND TECHNOLOGY OF ENCLOSING OR PROTECTING PRODUCTS FOR DISTYRIBUTION, STORAGE, SALE, AND USE. PACKAGING IS THE ACTIVITIES OF DESIGNING AND PRODUCING THE CONTAINER FOR A PRODUCT.

MAIN CAUSES OF FOOD SPOILAGE Physical - temperature, light, atmosphere (oxygen, moisture), time Physical-mechanical - modification integrity of the food, container integrity change Chemical - nature and concentration of chemical species, water activity (wa), pH, redox potential, type of solvent Biological - enzymes, microorganisms, insects

FOOD PACKAGING

The packaging of goods has had a huge development in recent years and has certainly represented one of the advances in food production. In the case of foods and beverages, from the initial "wrapping or containing“ function, new techniques and manufacturing processes have been studied to improve packaging material performances, in particular to respond to the needs of safety, nutritional and sensory properties preservation.

Why the use of food packaging has increased? Over the last 50 years the way we buy food has changed. In the past, some food items were usually sold ‘loose’ and taken home in a paper bag.

Due to advances in technology, most food items are now sold prepacked.

Protection of food Food products often have a long journey from the initial manufacturer until finally being eaten by consumers. They must be stored in warehouses before being transported and distributed to retailers. They are then likely to be stacked in more warehouses before being sold. At all these stages the product may be damaged by careless handling or changes in storage conditions such as light, humidity and temperature.

The purpose of packaging The aims of packaging include: • prevent physical damage, e.g. from knocking, shaking or crushing • prevent contamination from micro-organisms, pollution or vermin • protect against dehydration or dampness • protect the product’s nutritional and sensory characteristics • keep the product in peak condition • help to increase a product’s shelf life.

Labelling Packaging is also designed to be visually stimulating and provide information about the product to help the customer. The information supplied must cover: • the name of the food • the weight/volume (metric) • the list of ingredients in descending order of weight • how the food should be stored, where appropriate • the date when the food should be eaten • the presence of allergens • the name and address of manufacturer or distributor; • nutrition information on the back of pack (from 2016 onwards).

Packaging design When designing packaging it is important to consider the following: • Is it easy to handle and open? • Is it a convenient shape, so it is easy to stack? • Which colours will be used on the packaging? • What size of print should be used? (Can consumers read it easily?) • Will it be economical to produce? • What about environmental considerations? (Will it be recyclable or does it make minimum use of natural resources?)

Packaging design Other factors also determine the choice of materials used, especially in relation to food hygiene and safety. For example, the material must be suitable for the food, as some chemicals present in the food or packaging may react together. The amount of material migrating from food packaging into food may well be 100 times higher than that from pesticides or environmental pollutants.

ITX 2-isopropiltioxantone Ink found in milk in 2005, in Nestlè products. In Italy, around 30 million liters of milk were seized.

Benzophenone and 4methylbenzophenone used in the inks for printing food packaging, discovered in breakfast cereals, in 2009.

HYSTORY of PACKAGING Example: Food cans In the middle of XIX century, the English Peter Durant applied the idea of conservation with tin containers. This had a large success, especially in foodstuffs of the Royal Navy, from which the canned food has been developed. Between the mid and late XIX century in Italy, Francesco Cirio built the first factory of canned peas (1856) and the first plant in Campania (1875) for Today, every year, more than working canned tomato. 200 billion “Can” of food are produced and sold .

Example: Food cans Cans were traditionally made from tin plate sheet, but now more commonly aluminium is used (for drinks). The inside of the can is often sheet coated with lacquers to prevent the cans rusting and reacting with the contents, especially acidic foods.

Plastics Food packaging uses a wide range of both rigid and flexible plastic materials including: • polyethylene (PE) – low density is used as a film wrapping, resistant to water. High density is used for ‘boil-in-the-bag’ products; • polyamide (PA) – provides a very good barrier to oxygen, so used for vacuum packaging, especially for foods containing fat (which can be susceptible to oxidation).

CONVENIENCE FOODS Trays of polyethylene (PE), often laminated, and further protection of cardboard. Note - cardboard coated with PHB or other biopolymers

Plastics More examples of plastic packaging include: • polyethilene terephthalate (PET) rigid plastic bottles, light-weight, little risk of breakage and keep the fizz in carbonated drinks; • polystyrene (PS) – expanded polythene used for trays and insulated containers to keep food products cold, e.g. ice cream and sorbets or hot, e.g. coffee, soup and burgers.

Since March 1999 a foil for cooking PVC free (free from polyvinyl chloride) it’s been introduced on the market, exclusively made with polyethylene, a more safe plastic material. This has allowed the reduction of the phthalates, substances that make the PVC more flexible and easy to handle but harmful to health.

PVC is also dangerous because it is a source of dioxin which is produced during its incineration, a waste treatments by high temperature.

Paper, board and foil Paper, board and foil are commonly used to package foods. Board used for food packaging is often coated with a wax of polythene to prevent interaction with contents. Most paper or board should be discarded before heating, but some products frozen on specially treated board may be cooked in microwave ovens. Foil trays are suitable for both freezing and heating in conventional ovens.

Example: Glass Glass has been used for food packaging for a long time.

Glass is still very popular and is used exclusively for many products, e.g. jam.

Olive and seed oils Bottles of white and dark glass (from 0.25 to 0.50 0.75 to 2 liters). Plastic bottles (PET). Milk cylindrical (1 - 5 liters) and rectangular (2.5 - 3 - 3.785 to 4 - 5-10 liters). Cylindrical drums this (15 - 20 - 25 liters). Polylaminate polypropylene / paper / aluminum Prism Tetra and Tetra Brik 1 liter. Boxes and pottery clay.

Modified atmosphere packaging Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) is a technique used to lengthen the shelf-life of food products of minimally processed or fresh foods. The air surrounding the food in the package is changed to reduce the activity of microorganisms. Meat, fish, fruits and vegetables often use the method during packaging. Equilibrium modified atmosphere packaging (EMAP) is most commonly used for cut fresh-cut produce.

TYPE OF PACKAGING 1) PRIMARY PACKAGING the material that first envelops the products and holds it. This usually is the smallest unit of distribution or use and is the package which is in direct contact with the contents. 2) SECONDARY PACKAGING is outside the primary packaging, perhaps used to group primary packages together. 3) TERTIARY PACKAGING is used for bulk handling, warehouse storage and transport shipping. The most common form is a palletized unit load that packs tightly into containers.

Primary packaging

Package labelling refers to the graphics and text that provide information about product contents.

Primary packaging surrounds the product and features labelling.

Secondary packaging Secondary packaging is the box or crate into which a number of primary packages are placed for ease of manual movement of products. Some secondary packaging is also used to display products.

Tertiary (or transit) packaging

Transit packaging is the base pallet, strapping and wrapping used to bundle the boxes or crates for transport and distribution.

Shipping containers

Transit packaged products are placed in shipping containers for long-distance transportation and distribution.

Packaging materials • Paper • Metal • Plastic: -PP -PET -PS -PVC -Polyesthers -PE

box

foil

light, transparent, unbreakable, minimal use of material, good gas and aroma closing, valuable raw material

http://www.foodpackagingforum.org/Food-Packaging-Health/Food-Packaging-Materials C. Silvetre et. al. Prog. Polym. Sci., 36, 2011, 1766.

Packaged food

Bulk food

Increasing packaging

Single-serve packaging and ready meals are convenient for consumers, but use more packaging.

Packaging and waste • Half of all the packaging produced ends up in our homes. • Primary packaging makes up 20 percent of all household solid waste.

Every year, more than 10 million tons of packaging are used only in the UK.

Recycling packaging materials More than one-third of the food packaging in an average shopping trolley cannot be recycled. Many materials used for packaging cannot easily be recycled, and others become contaminated by food residues and cannot be recycled.

Reducing packaging Bottle manufacturers have redesigned milk bottles to be 65 percent lighter. This uses less glass and makes the product lighter and less expensive to transport.

Reducing packaging

Can manufacturers have redesigned steel cans to be 61 percent lighter, saving metals and making the product lighter and less expensive to transport.

Packaging and lifestyle

What is the relationship between the amount of packaging and lifestyle?

Packaging reduction: Buying in bulk

Packaging-free shopping on the rise in Europe

Waste-free packaging Is it possible to develop practical and costeffective packaging that is waste-free?

Innovative Materials BIOPOLYMERS

Packaging peanuts made from bioplastics (thermoplastic starch)

BIOPOLYMERS (as cellulose, starch, chitin, proteins and peptides)are polymers produced by living organisms. Some biopolymers are biodegradable (broken down into CO2 and water by microorganisms). In addition, some of these biodegradable biopolymers are compostable. That is, they can be put into an industrial composting process and will break down by 90% within 6 months. Biopolymers that do this can be marked with a 'compostable' symbol under European Standard EN 13432 (2000)

Biopolymers obtained from renewable sources and that are biodegradable and compostable represent "the class more interesting" because all deriving from natural products (cereals, sugarcane and potatoes) or derivatives thereof (starch, cellulose, sugars) with suitable processing cycles. They are polymers in which the carbon originates entirely from renewable biological resources

Polylactic Acid (PLA) Poly(lactic acid) or polylactide (PLA) is a biodegradable thermoplastic derived from renewable resources, such as corn starch (in the United States), tapioca roots, chips or starch (mostly in Asia), or sugarcane (in the rest of the world). In 2010, PLA had the second highest consumption volume of any bioplastic of the world.

PLA can be processed by extrusion, injection molding, film and sheet, 3d printing, and spinning, providing access to a wide range of materials. Being able to degrade into innocuous lactic acid, PLA is used as medical implants in the form of anchors, screws, plates, pins, rods, and as a mesh. Cups and bags have been made from this material. It is useful for producing loose-fill packaging, compost bags, food packaging, and disposable tableware.

Basically, there are two kinds of “composting.” Composting at home usually involves small-scale piles with low temperatures and less-than-optimum humidity. Then there’s large-scale commercial composting, in which materials are shredded, mixed, and maintained at 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) — a much higher temperature than that of typical home compost piles. A product called Mater-bi from Italian bioplastic is a compostable material. Mater-bi is “made of corn starch, vegetable oil derivatives, and biodegradable synthetic polyesters”. Mater-Bi is compostable also at typical home compost pile conditions.

Mater-Bi® Brand name Mater-Bi® of Novamont Bioplastics are materials whose properties and characteristics of use are very similar to those of traditional plastics, but at the same time, they are biodegradable and compostable according to the European standard UNI EN 13432.

Due to the characteristics of biodegradability and compostability, Mater-Bi® products allow to optimize waste collection and management to reduce environmental impact.

Applications for Bioplastics, Biocomposites, Biopolymers

AUTOMOTIVE Components, Coatings, Interiors

Applications for Bioplastics, Biocomposites, Biopolymers

AGRICULTURE

Applications for Bioplastics, Biocomposites, Biopolymers

EcoBags FOOD Service & Product Packaging

Applications for Bioplastics, Biocomposites, Biopolymers

100% Ingeo draperies

NEW PACKAGING MATERIALS

Active Packaging The terms active packaging, intelligent packaging, and smart packaging refer to packaging systems used with foods, pharmaceuticals, and several other types of products. They help extend shelf life, monitor freshness, display information on quality, improve safety, and improve convenience. The terms are closely related. Active packaging usually means having active functions beyond the inert passive containment and protection of the product. Intelligent and smart packaging usually involve the ability to sense or measure an attribute of the product, the inner atmosphere of the package, or the shipping environment. This information can be communicated to users or can trigger active packaging functions.

ACTIVE PACKAGING MOISTURE CONTROL: use of desiccants to actively control the water vapor in a closed package. OXYGEN CONTROL: with some products, such as cheese, it has long been common to flush the package with nitrogen prior to sealing: the nitrogen removes oxygen and "actively" interacts with the cheese to make the package functional. Some package components have been developed that incorporate active chemistry to help maintain certain atmospheres in packages. Oxygen scavengers, carbon dioxide generators, ethanol generators, etc. are available to help keep the atmosphere in a package at specified conditions.

ACTIVE PACKAGING TEMPERATURE CONTROL: Some temperature indicators give a visual signal that a specified temperature has been exceeded. Digital temperature data loggers record the temperatures encountered throughout the shipment. This data can be used to predict product degradation and help determine if the product is suited for normal sale or if expedited sale is required. They also determine the time of the temperature excess: this can be used to direct corrective action. Thermochromic inks are sometimes used to signal temperature excess or change. Some are reversible while others have a permanent change of color.

OXYGEN CONTROL: chemical absorbers 1st type - The active absorber is made from iron powder, contained in special bags, which will oxidize in the presence of oxygen. The bags are placed directly in metal boxes, bottles, glass jars and boxes of plastic materials. They are used in foods such as tea, dried fruit, meat, frozen fish, bread, baked goods and pasta. 2nd type - The active substance is ascorbic acid and its salts. They are used for packaging of dried fruit, beverages and confectionery products.

OXYGEN ABSORBER!

MOISTURE ABSORBER Desiccants are a dehydrating agent, which attracts moisture from the atmosphere. MAJOR TYPES OF DESICCANT Silica Gel: Silica Gel is non – hazardous and is able of adsorbing 40% of its weight in water vapor at 100% humidity. Silica Gel has a porous molecular structure that closely resembles a sponge, and has the highest capacity of any commercial desiccant for moisture adsorption. Indicating Silica Gel: Indicating Silica Gel has the same absorbing capacities of regular silica gels. However it changes color to alert the user that the desiccant is reaching its absorption capacity.

MOISTURE ABSORBER Desiccants should be used within a closed and sealed moisture barrier or a rigid sealed container to be most effective. This allows the desiccant to absorb the trapped moisture vapor inside of the package. Often a humidity indicating card is placed inside the package to show humidity levels and shows when the desiccant needs to be replaced.

ETHYLENE ABSORBERS Remove ethylene that is formed inside the packages. 1st type - Physical absorption with ceramic materials "activated" that are placed in suitable bags. 2nd type - Chemical reaction with salts "immobilized" on special materials (i.e. silica gel) and contained in suitable bags.

ETHYLENE - unsaturated hydrocarbon also called "plant hormone" - is normally produced by plants and fruits for controlling the process of maturation. At the same time, its absorption serves to slow down the premature senescence of stored products.

Ethylene absorbers

ETHANOL EMITTERS Ethanol is used routinely as sterilizing agent in medical and pharmaceutical applications, and, in vapor form, it has been demonstrated to extend the shelf life of packaged bread and other baked products. Ethanol sachets, containing encapsulated ethanol, release ethanol vapor, which imparts a preservative effect in the packaging headspace. The ethanol prevents microbiological spoilage of intermediate moisture foods, cheese products, and sweet bakery goods.

ETHANOL EMITTERS

Antimicrobial emitters Releasing into the packaging of substances that exert an antimicrobial action. The active ingredients can be coated on a film surface or, alternatively, included in a polymer matrix of the same film. Natural substances that can be used: - Essential oils - Rosemary extracts - Hydroxytyrosol from EVOO - Other polyphenolic antioxidants

SOME TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF ACTIVE PACKAGING MATERIALS Key points: 1. Active materials are dosed within sachets or are added directly in the packaging. 2. They are scarcely accepted by consumers, since the sachets are "visible" and, also, could cause direct contamination in case of opening and/or breaking. 3. Alternative solutions consist in the active ingredients incorporated in flexible multilayer films, added to the mixture of the molten polymer (plastic), before forming the container or applied in the form of adhesive labels to the packaging.

INTELLIGENT PACKAGING Provided with an indicator-applied sensor inside the package or on the label, which give information on the quality of the product and the packaging, on the presence of gas in the head space and, more generally, on the conditions and state of conservation .

The main used categories are: • time-temperature indicators • ripening indicators • indicators of threshold • freshness indicators

TIME-TEMPERATURE INDICATORS Devices applied on the external surface of the package that indicate the "thermal history" of the food, in the whole distribution chain, as regards temperature and commercial duration (shelf life). Adhesive labels that work on the basis of a physical, chemical, biochemical or electronic principle or their combination. Example: a chemical device may change color, the effect of a reaction-type enzyme, when a food exceeds the date of use indicated or is stored at not appropriate temperatures.

TTI (Time-Temperature-Indicator) Adhesive label which is operating by when the packaging is open, and indicates the time left before the deadline.

RIPENING INDICATOR

FRESHNESS INDICATORS Highlight the microbiological quality of the packaged product through direct reactions with the metabolites produced by microorganisms present in the food. The rapid microbial growth, due to temperatures not suitable for storage, could lead to the deterioration of the product prior to the expiration date printed on the package.

FRESHNESS INDICATORS

OXYGEN AND CARBON DIOXIDE INDICATORS Provide information on the pack seal and integrity, in order to control the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide. They are devices in the shape of "labels or strips" which are inserted in the packs and work by changing the color, based on chemical or enzymatic reactions. Oxygen indicators are used to check the gases that enter / exit the package, due to the permeability of the material or to the presence of micro - discontinuity in its structure. Carbon dioxide indicators are used for packaging where it is necessary the presence of high amounts of carbon dioxide, to control excesses or defects that occur during the phases of storage.

Final Thoughts The increasing use of "active and intelligent" materials is a consequence of a strong external commercial drive, to adapt the internal European markets to the "standard globalization". From the perspective of cultural processes, there is a deeply changing toward a larger use of convenience foods: we have gone, in a short time, from the preparation of food in household consumption of food already prepared and packaged. It should be considered positively, in this passage, the improvements that have taken place regarding the availability of food, the largest health and hygiene safety and nutrition and, more generally, the improvement of public health.

Precautionary principles The use of "active and intelligent" materials requires that foods has the "highest level" in conformity by law. The compounds deliberately incorporated into active materials, to be released in food or in the environment of the package, must be authorized in accordance with current provisions and also be subject, if necessary, to specific measures regarding labeling and information to consumers for correct use. (For example, particular attention must be paid to devices that use potassium permanganate, as absorber of ethylene, as dangerous product).

Special requirements for materials and packaging “active” and “intelligent” Substances deliberately incorporated and intended to be released in the food or in the environment of the package must be authorized. Must not lead to the deterioration of foods. The provided information should not mislead consumers. Proper labeling to allow consumers to identify the non-edible parts of the package. (Art. 4 – UE rule n. 1935/2004)