11 Food Packaging - NFSC Faculty Website

1 food Packaging 11 Joongmin Shin1 and Susan Selke2. 1. Packaging , Engineering and Technology, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, Wisconsin, USA. 2. School of Packaging , Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Introduction Functions of food Packaging food Packaging is defined as a co-ordinated system Containment of preparing food for transport, distribution, storage, The term containment means, simply, to contain pro- retailing, and end-use to satisfy the ultimate consumer ducts to enable them to be moved or stored.

2 It is so basic with optimal cost (Coles et al., 2003). food Packaging that it is easily overlooked. However, containment is a key is an essential part of modern society; commercially pro- factor for all other Packaging functions. All products must cessed food could not be handled and distributed safely be contained for delivery from their point of production and efficiently without Packaging . The World Packaging to their ultimate destination. Even items that consumers Organization (WPO) estimates that more than 25% of consider as not a packaged product, such as bulk pro- food is wasted because of poor Packaging (WPO, 2009).

3 Duce, must be packaged for transportation. Without Thus, it is clear that optimal Packaging can reduce the large Packaging , products are likely to be lost or contaminated amount of food waste. Moreover, the current consumer by the environment. For this reason, we have actually used demand for convenient and high-quality food products Packaging for millennia. Early Packaging such as animal has increased the impact of food Packaging . The purpose skins, baskets, or leaves from trees were used to contain of this chapter is to provide background knowledge for liquids, powders, grains, etc.

4 The containment function those who are interested in or may become involved in significantly contributes to protecting and preserving the development of food Packaging and/or processing. products during their distribution. This chapter consists of four major parts. The develop- ment of quality food Packaging is impossible if the pack- aging does not perform its required functions. Therefore, Protection/preservation the first part of this chapter discusses the important role Packaging plays in maintaining food quality and reducing There are two broad types of damage that fresh and pro- product waste.

5 The second part is about the properties cessed foods sustain during storage and transportation. and forms of food Packaging materials and systems to One is physical damage such as shock, vibration, com- facilitate understanding and appreciation of the major pressive forces, etc. The other is environmental damage Packaging materials, including plastic, paper, metal, and that occurs due to exposure to water, light, gases, odors, glass, which can affect the quality of food and its shelf life. microorganisms, etc.

6 A good Packaging system will The third part of the chapter explains aseptic Packaging , protect or reduce these types of damage to the package modified atmosphere Packaging and active Packaging contents. For example, an essential aroma or flavor in cof- technologies, which have assumed increasing importance fee or juice may easily be evaporated or oxidized without in the food industry in recent years. Finally, the last part of optimum barrier Packaging . A shelf-stable food in a can the chapter discusses sustainable food Packaging issues, or pouch may maintain its stability (especially against including recycling, biodegradable materials, and package microorganisms) as long as the package provides protec- design.

7 Tion. However, in the case of fresh food products, the ideal food Processing: Principles and Applications, Second Edition. Edited by Stephanie Clark, Stephanie Jung, and Buddhi Lamsal. 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Published 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 249. 250 food Processing: Principles and Applications protection is usually hard to achieve with Packaging Utility alone. Since temperature is a major influence on the This function of Packaging is sometimes termed conven- degradation of food , it is more economical to control ience.

8 Consumers demand products that fit into their temperature through supply chain modification (refriger- lifestyles and the Packaging industry has had to respond ation, freezing, etc.). However, Packaging can also add a to this. Thus, the utility function encompasses all the certain level of protection to slow down temperature Packaging attributes that provide added value and con- changes. venience to the users of the product and/or package. For example, an important social trend is the growing number of mothers in the workforce and smaller house- Communication holds (people living alone and married couples without children).

9 Unquestionably, food products that offer sim- According to the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act plification and convenience have grown in popularity (Federal Trade Commission, 1994), food Packaging must with this group; examples include microwavable entrees, identify the product, the net quantity of the contents, steam-in-pouch vegetables, oven-safe meat pouches, name/address of business of the manufacturer, packer, pump-action condiments, and so on. or distributor, as well as (usually) nutritional information.

10 The communication function of Packaging not only includes the information provided by the written text, Packaging systems but also elements of the Packaging design such as package shape, color, recognized symbols or brands. Beyond giv- We can categorize Packaging systems into four groups: ing information, the communication function is expected primary Packaging , secondary Packaging , distribution to entice the consumer to purchase the product. Packag- or tertiary Packaging , and unit load. ing has been regarded as the silent salesman (Judd et al.)