Food packaging
Food packaging is the enclosing of food that requires protection from tampering, whether by physical, chemicals, or biologiical needs. It also shows the product that is labeled to show any nutrition information on the food being consumed.
Food packaging's functions
Food packaging's function are as diverse as they are important. They are broken down as follows.
- Containment: For items that are granulated, paper-based packages are the best with a sealing system to prevent moisture infiltration of the product. Other products are packaged using metal cans, plastic bags and bottles, and glass. Another factor in containment is packaging durability, meaning the packaged food has to survive transport from the packaging at the food processing facility to the supermarket to the home for the consumer.
- Protection: The packaging must protect the food from biological agents in rats, insects, and microbes; from mechanical damage such as product abrasion, compressive forces, and vibration; and from chemical degradation such as oxidation, moisture transfer, and ultraviolet light.
- Communication: Packaged food must be identified for consumer use mainly with label text and graphics. It can also be shown with the food package's shape such as the Coca-Cola bottle or the can of Spam. Other well known food package shapes include the potato chip bags and milk bottles. These packages also detail nutritional information, if they are kosher or halal-approved, manufacturer, product size (volume or weight-based), and the Universal Product Code (UPC).
- Functionality: That the package is easy to use for both manufacturers and consumers. These products can be purchased all at once such as frozen pizza or as part of a larger package such as a twelve pack of beer. Another use may be to see if the package can go through a microwave process such as a TV dinner. Other items included pour spouts already on the bottles are other methods to ease dispensing of the product.
- Environmental issues: This means that we must be done to reuse the packaging, reducing the size of the packaging, and then recycling of the products to be remanufactured.
- Package safety: That the package be used for safety of the food from the package or vice versa. This includes any metal contamination issues from a can to the food product or any plastic contamination from a bottle to a food product as well.
Food packaging types
The above materials are fashioned into different types of food packages and containers such as:
| Packaging type | Type of container | Food examples |
|---|---|---|
| Aspetic packages | Primary | Liquid whole eggs |
| Bags | Primary | Potato chips |
| Boxes | Secondary | Box of Coca-Cola |
| Cans | Primary | Can of Campbell's Tomato soup. |
| Cartons | Primary | Carton of eggs |
| Flexible packaging | Primary | Bagged salad |
| Pallets | Tertiary | A series of boxes on a single pallet used to transport from the manufacturing plant to a distribution center. |
| Wrappers | Tertiary | Used to wrap the boxes on the pallet for transport. |
Primary packaging is the main package that holds the food that is being processed. Secondary packaging combines the primary packages into one box being made. Tertiary packaging combines all of the secondary packages into one pallet.
There are also special containers that combine different technologies for maximum durability:
- Bags-In-Boxes (used for soft drink syrup, other liquid products, and meat products)
- Wine box (used for wine)
Packaging machines
Packaging machines are of the following main types:
- Horizontal form fill and seal machines
- Vertical form fill and seal machines
- Cartoning machines
- Case Packing machines
- Palletizing machines
- Bottling machines
- Induction Sealing or cap sealing machine
See also
- Packaging engineering
- Logistics
- Mandatory labelling
- Glass Container Industry
- Containerization
- Freight
- Distribution
- Food labelling Regulations
- Flexography
References
- Barron, F.H. and J.D. Burcham. (2003). "Glass Containers." In Encyclopedia of Agricultural, Food, and Biological Engineering. D.R. Heldman, Ed. New York: Marcel Dekker. pp. 436-439.
- Barron, F.H. and J.D. Burcham. (2003). "Metal Containers." In Encyclopedia of Agricultural, Food, and Biological Engineering. D.R. Heldman, Ed. New York: Marcel Dekker. pp. 636-642.
- Bourque, R.A. (2003). "Secondary Packaging." In Encyclopedia of Agricultural, Food, and Biological Engineering. D.R. Heldman, Ed. New York: Marcel Dekker. pp. 873-879.
- Chinnan, M.S. and D.S. Cha. (2003). "Primary Packaging." In Encyclopedia of Agricultural, Food, and Biological Engineering. D.R. Heldman, Ed. New York: Marcel Dekker. pp. 781-784.
- Hanlon, J.F., R.J. Kelsey, and H.E. Forcinio. (1998). Handbook of Package engineering, Third Edition. Lancaster, PA: Technomic Publishing.
- Potter, N.N. and J.H. Hotchkiss. (1995). Food Science, Fifth Edition. New York: Chapman & Hall. pp. 478-513.
- Steven, M.D. and J.H. Hotchkiss. (2003). "Package Functions." In Encyclopedia of Agricultural, Food, and Biological Engineering. D.R. Heldman, Ed. New York: Marcel Dekker. pp. 716-719.