FOOD PACKAGING

UNIT 1
Introduction of Food Packaging
► In today’s society, packaging is pervasive and essential.
► It surrounds, enhances and protects the goods we buy, from
processing and manufacturing, through handling and storage, to
the final consumer.
► Without packaging, materials handling would be a messy,
inefficient and costly exercise and modern consumer marketing
would be virtually impossible.
► The packaging sector represents about 2% of the gross national
product (GNP) in developed countries, and about half of all
packaging is used to package food.
► Food packaging lies at the very heart of the modern food industry, and
successful food packaging technologists must bring to their professional
duties a wide-ranging background drawn from a multitude of disciplines.
► Despite the important and key role that packaging plays, it is often
regarded as a necessary evil or an unnecessary cost.
► Furthermore, in the view of many consumers, packaging is, at best,
somewhat superfluous, and, at worst, a serious waste of resources and an
environmental menace.
► Such views arise because the functions that packaging has to perform are
either unknown or not considered in full.
► By the time most consumers come into contact with a package, its job, in
many cases, is almost over, and it is perhaps understandable that the
view that excessive packaging has been used has gained some credence
► Packaging has been defined as a socio-scientific discipline that
operates in society to ensure the delivery of goods to the ultimate
consumer of those goods in the best condition intended for their
Use.
► Packaging include a coordinated system of preparing goods for
transport, distribution, storage, retailing and end use, a means of
ensuring safe delivery to the ultimate consumer in sound
condition at optimum cost and a techno-commercial function
aimed at optimizing the costs of delivery while maximizing sales.
► It is important to distinguish between the words “package,”
“packaging” and “packing.”
► The package is the physical entity that contains the product.
► The verb “packing” can be defined as the enclosing of an
individual item (or several items) in a package or container.
Types of Packaging

► Primary
► Secondary
► Tertiary
Functions of Packaging
► CONTAINMENT
► PROTECTION
► CONVENIENCE
► COMMUNICATION
CONTAINMENT
► This function of packaging is so obvious as to be
overlooked by many, but, with the exception of large,
discrete products, all other products must be contained
before they can be moved from one place to another.
► The “package,” whether it is a bottle of cola or a bulk
cement rail wagon, must contain the product to function
successfully.
► Without containment, product loss and pollution would be
widespread.
► The containment function of packaging makes a huge
contribution to protecting the environment from the
myriad of products that are moved from one place to
another on numerous occasions each day in any modern
society.
► Faulty packaging (or under-packaging) could result in
major pollution of the environment.
► Even today, the containment function of packaging is not
always addressed satisfactorily, as evidenced by the
number of packaged foods that leak their contents,
especially around the closures and seals
PROTECTION
► This is often regarded as the primary function of the package:
to protect its contents from outside environmental influences
such as water, water vapor, gases, odors, microorganisms,
dust, shocks, vibrations and compressive forces.
► For the majority of foods, the protection afforded by the
package is an essential part of the preservation process.
► For example, aseptically packaged milk and fruit juices in
paperboard cartons only remain aseptic for as long as the
package provides protection.
► Likewise, vacuum-packaged meat will not achieve its desired
shelf life if the package permits O2 to enter
 In general, once the integrity of the package is breached, the product is no
longer preserved.
Packaging also protects or conserves much of the energy expended during the
production and processing of the product.
For example, to produce, transport, sell and store 1 kg of bread requires 15.8
MJ (megajoules) of energy.
This energy is required in the form of transport fuel, heat, power and
refrigeration in farming and milling the wheat, baking and retailing the
bread, and in distributing both the raw materials and the finished product.
To manufacture the low density polyethylene (LDPE) bag to package a 1 kg
loaf of bread requires 1.4 MJ of energy.
This means that each unit of energy in the packaging protects 11 units of
energy in the product.
While eliminating the packaging might save 1.4 MJ of energy, it would also
lead to spoilage of the bread and a consequent waste of 15.8 MJ of energy
CONVENIENCE

► Modern industrialized societies have brought about

tremendous changes in lifestyles and the packaging
industry has had to respond to those changes.
► Now an ever-increasing number of households are single
person, many couples either delay having children or opt
not to at all and a greater percentage of women are in the
workforce than ever before.
► All these changes, as well as other factors such as the trend toward
“grazing” (i.e., eating snack-type meals frequently and on the run
rather than regular meals), the demand for a wide variety of food and
drink at outdoor functions such as sports events, and increased leisure
time, have created a demand for greater convenience in household
products.
► Products designed to increase convenience include foods that are
preprepared and can be cooked or reheated in a very short time,
preferably without removing them from their primary package, and
sauces, dressings and condiments that can be applied simply through
aerosol or pump-action packages that minimize mess.
► Thus, packaging plays an important role in meeting the demands of
consumers for convenience. Convenient packages promote sales
► Two other aspects of convenience are important in
package design.
► One of these can best be described as the apportionment
function of packaging. In this context, the package
functions by reducing the output from industrial
production to a manageable, desirable “consumer” size.
► Thus, a vat of wine is “apportioned” into 750 mL bottles;
a churn of butter is “apportioned” by packing into 25 g
minipats and a batch of ice cream is “apportioned” by
filling into 2 L plastic tubs
COMMUNICATION
► There is an old saying that “a package must protect what it sells
and sell what it protects.” It may be old, but it is still true; a
package functions as a “silent salesman”.
► The modern methods of consumer marketing would fail were it not
for the messages communicated by the package.
► The ability of consumers to instantly recognize products through
distinctive shapes, branding and labeling enables supermarkets to
function on a self-service basis.
► Without this communication function (i.e., if there were only plain
packs and standard package sizes), shopping in a supermarket would
be a lengthy, frustrating nightmare as consumers attempted to
make purchasing decisions without the numerous visual clues
provided by the graphics and the distinctive shapes of the packaging
Classification of Foods

► Food can be classified in accordance to their chemical property, to their

function, to their essentiality, to their concentration and to their nutritive
value.
► a) According to the chemical nature
► • carbohydrates
► • vitamins
► • proteins
► • dietary fiber
► • fats
► • water minerals
► According to their function in the body
► Energy giving foods The carbohydrates, fats and the protein areconsidered as
calorie nutrients, so that thebody can perform the necessary functions.
► Rice, chapatti, bread, potato, sugar, oil, butter and ghee are examples of
energygiving foods
Packaging Requirements for Food
Stuff
► General Requirements
► A utensil or container made of the following materials or metals, when used in the
preparation, packaging
► and storing of food shall be deemed to render it unfit for human consumption:—
► (a) containers which are rusty;
► (b) enameled containers which have become chipped and rusty;
► (c) copper or brass containers which are not properly tinned
► (d) containers made of aluminium not conforming in chemical composition to IS:20
specification for Cast
► Aluminium & Aluminium Alloy for utensils or IS:21 specification for Wrought Aluminium
and Aluminium
► Alloy for utensils.
► Containers made of plastic materials should conform to the following Indian Standards
Specification, used
► as appliances or receptacles for packing or storing whether partly or wholly, food articles
namely :—
► (i) IS : 10146 (Specification for Polyethylene in contact with foodstuffs);
► (ii) IS : 10142 (Specification for Styrene Polymers in contact with foodstuffs);
► (iii) IS : 10151 (Specification for Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), in contact with foodstuffs);
► (iv) IS : 10910 (Specification for Polypropylene in contact with foodstuffs);
► (v) IS : 11434 (Specification for Ionomer Resins in contact with foodstuffs);
► (vi) IS: 11704 Specification for Ethylene Acrylic Acid (EAA) copolymer.
► (vii) IS: 12252 - Specification for Poly alkylene terephathalates (PET).
► (viii) IS: 12247 - Specification for Nylon 6 Polymer;
► (ix) IS: 13601 - Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA);
► (x) IS: 13576 - Ethylene Metha Acrylic Acid (EMAA);
► (xi) Tin and plastic containers once used, shall not be re-used for packaging of edible oils
and fats
► Provided that utensils or containers made of copper though not properly
tinned, may be used for the preparation of sugar confectionery or essential
oils and mere use of such utensils or containers shall not be deemed to render
sugar confectionery or essential oils unfit for human consumption.
 General packaging requirements for
Canned products
► (i) All containers shall be securely packed and sealed.
► (ii) The exterior of the cans shall be free from major
dents, rust, perforations and seam distortions.
► (iii) Cans shall be free from leaks.
Product specific requirements
► Packaging requirements for Milk and Milk Products
► (a) Bottling or filling of containers with heat-treated milk and
milk product shall be carried out mechanically and the sealing
of the containers shall be carried out automatically.
► (b) Wrapping or packaging may not be re-used for dairy
products, except where the containers are of a type which may
be re-used after thorough cleaning and disinfecting.
► (c) Sealing shall be carried out in the establishment in which the
last heat-treatment of drinking milk or liquid milk-base products
has been carried out, immediately after filling, by means of a
sealing device which ensures that the milk is protected from any
adverse effects of external origin on its characteristic.
► The sealing device shall be so designed that once the container
has been opened, the evidence of opening remains clear and easy
to check.
► (d) Immediately after packaging, the dairy products shall be
placed in the rooms provided for storage.
► Packaging requirements for Edible oil/ fat:
► Tin Plate used for the manufacture of tin containers
for packaging edible oils and fats shall conform to the
standards of prime grade quality contained in B.I.S.
► Standards No. 1993 or 13955 or 9025 or 13954 as
amended from time to time and in respect of Tin
containers for packaging edible oils and fats shall
conform to IS No. 10325 or 10339 as amended from
time to time
► Packaging requirements for Fruits and Vegetables Products
► (i) Every container in which any fruit product is packed
shall be so sealed that it cannot be opened without
destroying the licensing number and the special
identification mark of the manufacture to be displayed on
the top or neck of the bottle.
► (ii) For Canned fruits, juices and vegetables, sanitary top
cans made up of suitable kind of tin plates shall be used.
► (iii) For Bottled fruits, juices and vegetables, only bottles/
jars capable of giving hermetic seal shall be used.
► (iv) Juices, squashes, crush, cordials, syrups, barley waters and other
beverages shall be packed in clean bottles securely sealed. These products
when frozen and sold in the form of ice shall be packed in suitable cartons.
Juices and Pulps may be packed in wooden barrels when sulphited.
► (v) For packing Preserves, Jams, Jellies, and Marmalades, new cans, clean jars,
new canisters, bottles, chinaware jars, aluminium containers may be used and
it shall be securely sealed.
► (vi) For Pickles, clean bottles, jars, wooden casks, tin containers covered from
inside with polythene lining of 250 gauge or suitable lacquered cans shall be
used.
► (vii) For Tomato Ketchups and Sauces, clean bottles shall be
used. If acidity does not exceed 0.5% as acetic acid, open top
sanitary cans may also be used.
► (viii) Candied fruits and peels and dried fruits and vegetables can
be packed in paper bags, cardboard or wooden boxes, new tins,
bottles, jars, aluminium and other suitable approved containers.
► (ix) Fruits and Vegetable products can also be packed in aseptic
and flexible packaging material having good grade quality
conforming to the standards laid down by BIS.
► Packaging requirements for Canned Meat Products
► (i) New sanitary top cans made from suitable kind of tin plate shall be used. The cans
shall be lacquered internally; they shall be sealed hermetically after filling. The
lacquer used shall be sulphur resistant and shall not be soluble in fat or brine.
► (ii) Cans used for filling pork luncheon meat shall be coated internally with edible
gelatin, lard or lined with vegetable parchment paper before being filled.
► Meat products packed in hermetically sealed containers shall be processed to
withstand spoilage under commercial conditions of storage and transport
► Packaging requirements for Drinking Water (Both Packaged and Mineral Water)
► It shall be packed in clean, hygienic, colourless, transparent and tamperproof
bottles/containers made of
► polyethylene (PE) (conforming to IS:10146 or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) conforming
to IS : 10151 or polyalkylene
► terephthalate (PET and PBT) conforming to IS : 12252 or polypropylene
conforming to IS : 10910 or foodgrade
► polycarbonate or sterile glass bottles suitable for preventing possible
adulteration or contamination of the water.
► All packaging materials of plastic origin shall pass the prescribed overall
migration and colour migration limits.
Materials for Food Packaging
Bio-Plastics

In food industry, a growing concern is the use

of suitable packaging material (i.e.,
biodegradable coatings and films) with
enhanced thermal, mechanical and barrier
characteristics to prevent from
contamination and loss of foodstuff.
► Biobased polymer resources can be used for the development of
biodegradable bioplastics. To achieve this goal, biopolymers should
be economic, renewable and abundantly available.
► Bioplastic packaging materials based on renewable biomass could
be used as sustainable alternative to petrochemically-originated
plastic materials.
► This review summarizes the recent advancements in
biopolymer-based coatings and films for active food packaging
applications.
► Microbial polymers , wood-based polymers (cellulose,
hemicellulose, starch & lignin), and protein-based polymers
(gelatin, keratin, wheat gluten, soy protein and whey protein
isolates) were among the materials most widely exploited for the
development of smart packaging films.
► These biopolymers are able to synthesize coatings and
films with good barrier properties against food borne
pathogens and the transport of gases.
► Biobased reinforcements e.g., plant essential oils and
natural additives to bioplastic films improve oxygen
barrier, antibacterial and antifungal properties.
► To induce the desired functionality the simultaneous
utilization of different synthetic and biobased polymers in
the form of composites/blends is also an emerging area of
research.
► Nanoscale reinforcements into bioplastic packaging have also been
reported to improve packaging characteristics ultimately
increasing food shelf life.
► The development of bioplastic/biocomposite and
nanobiocomposites exhibits high potential to replace
nonbiodegradable materials with characteristics comparable to
fossil-based plastics, additionally, giving biodegradable and
compostable characteristics.
► The idea of utilization of renewable biomass and the implications
of biotechnology can firstly reduce the burden from
fossil-resources, while secondly promoting biobased economy.
Package Environments,

► The packaging has to perform its functions in three

different environments.
► Failure to consider all three environments during package
development will result in poorly designed packages,
increased costs, consumer complaints and even avoidance
or rejection of the product by the customer.
► PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
► This is the environment in which physical damage can be caused
to the product. It includes shocks
► from drops, falls and bumps, damage from vibrations arising
from transportation modes including

► road, rail, sea and air and compression and crushing damage
arising from stacking during transpor-
► tation or storage in warehouses, retail outlets and the home.
► AMBIENT ENVIRONMENT
► This is the environment that surrounds the package. Damage
to the product can be caused
► as a result of gases (particularly O2), water and water vapor,
light (particularly UV radiation)
► and temperature, as well as microorganisms (bacteria, fungi,
molds, yeasts and viruses) and
► macro-organisms (rodents, insects, mites and birds) that are
ubiquitous in many warehouses
► and retail outlets. Contaminants in the ambient environment
such as exhaust fumes from auto-
► mobiles and dust and dirt can also find their way into the
product unless the package acts as an
► effective barrier.
► HUMAN ENVIRONMENT
► This is the environment in which the package interacts with
people, and designing packages for this environment requires
knowledge of the variability of consumers’ capabilities
including vision,strength, weakness, dexterity, memory and
cognitive behavior.
► It includes knowledge of the results of human activity such
as liability, litigation, legislation and regulation.
► Because one of the functions of the package is to
communicate, it is important that the messages are clearly
received by consumers.
► In addition, the package must contain information required
by law such as nutritional content and net weight.
Functions-to-Environment Grid
► The functions of packaging and the environments where the package
has to perform can be laid out in a two-way matrix or grid
► Anything that is done in packaging can be classified and located in one
or more of the 12 function/environment cells.
► The grid provides a methodical yet simple way of evaluating the
suitability of a particular package design before it is actually adopted
and put into use. As well, the grid serves as a useful aid when
evaluating existing packaging.
► Separate grids can be laid out for distribution packaging analysis,
corrugated packaging analysis, legal/regulatory impact or for any mix
of package-related concepts that are of interest. In a further
refinement of the grid, a third dimension has been suggested to
represent the intensity of the interactions in each cell.
Packaging Design and Strategy

► Aesthetics
► The first impression counts.
► Does a new design make your brand look outstanding, does
it look like something that would look good in my house.
► Do it want to be seen with this. A nice looking design is a
must.
► Concept Fit – not only are we aiming for a pretty design however,
design should of course also fit and convey your brand’s superior
value message – what makes this product unique, interesting,
worth considering, better than competitor products, why should I
buy this
► Shelf Impact – getting seen is the first step towards getting sold.
When we design new packs, we must assess designs in a shelf
context, displayed side-by-side with competition, to ascertain if
a design is visible enough to get seen, because getting seen
means getting sold!
► Merchandise Proof – as part of getting seen, don’t only think front of pack.
Consider how you are merchandised and ensure that essential information is
contained on all sides that might be shown to consumers.
► Quick & Clear Product Identification – usually you’ll know what kind of product it
is, by looking left and right on the shelf.
► Products are typically merchandised by category.
► But in some retail situations, or in some categories it still remains essential to
communicate what kind of product it is, to make it clear what we’re buying.
Also think of text versus image.
► Quick & Clear Variant Identification – nothing worse
then coming home thinking you bought salty
crackers and you actually mistakenly bought the
unsalty ones. Or thinking you bought a shampoo and
then it’s actually a conditioner. Use design to
clearly help people differentiate variants.
► Keep it Simple / Less is More– what is the essential
info that a user is interested in. Move all the other
things to the back. Eye tracking studies show that
simple packs that make effective use of white space
and are easy to navigate score very high.
► An Aesthetically Pleasing Structure – again aesthetics do
matter of course, if the product is similar and I can pick
between ugly and pretty.. I’d rather take the pretty bottle.
► A Functional Structure – I prefer square water bottles,
because they don’t roll in my fridge crushing my fruit.
► Also square bottles stack much easier – how come all water
bottle brands are always round? The Heinz squeeze bottle
replacing the glass bottle not only helped save material cost
– it also helped users get the very last bits of catch up out of
their bottle which the glass bottle made impossible.
► Thus adding more user value via a structure.
► An Easy-to-Use Structure – Don’t you hate those milk packs with
those tear-off lids, that when torn off still don’t open the pack?
► that annoying toothpaste tube, with that sharp little lid that
you cut your finger on every morning to start your day off
poorly?
► Ease of use, has many dimensions – placement, opening,
closing, dispensing method, dosage control, hygiene etc. We’ll
include these for now as part of “easy-to-use structures”.
Maybe if enough people are interested, a future article will deal
with “effective structural packaging design”
► Structural Afterlife – Not relevant for all products, but when possible it’s
great to develop a shape that allows people to “recycle” your pack and
keep it in their house for a bit longer.
► It might even become a driver for purchase. Especially in kids packaging a
nicely shaped pack could become a toy that can be used for different
purposes.
► (Alternative) Usage Instructions – Especially for products that cross over
between categories or new innovations that require a bit of education on
use. Tell people how the product can or should be used.
► If it’s a commodity try to find new ways of creating value and suggest tips
on how else the product could be used. How many people do you remember
that only bought Mentos because it was so much fun to combine it with your
soft drink of choice!
4P’s of Marketing for FMCG products
Packaging Characteristics in Multiple
Retail Logistics and Distribution
Food Deterioration Factors
Effects of Food Spoilage

► Food spoilage directly affects the colour, taste, odour and

consistency or texture of food, and it may become
dangerous to eat.
► The presence of a bad odour or smell coming from food is
an indication that it may be unsafe. But remember that
not all unsafe food smells bad.
Types of Hazards

► In the case of food packaging, it’s not just the inside that counts: food
packaging plays a big role in the quality of the product.
► It can make or break your food safety measures.
► Protecting the product inside starts by determining and eliminating the
threats on the outside
PHYSICAL CONTAMINATION
► Each year, millions of food products are recalled due to foreign
contaminants discovered by consumers.
► Physical contamination occurs when actual objects contaminate the
food.
► The most common physical contaminants, the so-called Dirty Dozen.
► Weird and uncommon objects in food products often make it to the
headlines of news channels.
► The food industry takes many precautions to ensure that any
end-product that reaches consumers is free of physical contaminants.
► Techniques to prevent and identify these foreign objects in food
packaging are improving rapidly, significantly reducing the number of
physical contaminants in food packaging.
CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION
The presence of chemicals where they should not be, or
the presence of an amount that is higher than is
attributed as safe, are two forms of chemical
contamination.
This form of contamination in packaging is highly
dangerous, given the fact that a high concentration of
chemicals present in edible products can possess serious
health risks.
► Food production, packaging and preparation is a long road, in which each
stage has a potential source of chemical contaminants invasion of the food.
Therefore, there are many potential risks of chemical contamination.
► A common one is due to the direct food contact with packaging materials,
which can lead to chemical contamination by the migration of some harmful
substances into foods.
► Also the use of unapproved or erroneous additives may result in food
contamination.
common forms of chemical contamination are:

► Contamination by pest control products

► Contamination by chemicals used in equipment
maintenance
► Contaminants from secondary packaging,
warehousing and transportation
► Uncontrolled or food-unsuitable chemical
substances intended to support the manufacturing
process
 MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION
► Microbiological contamination also forms a big risk in food
packaging.
► Microbiological contamination refers to the non-intended
introduction of microbes such as bacteria, yeast, mould, fungi and
virus.
► Without proper precautions, this form of contamination can occur
in any stage of the production process.
► Pests can have a disastrous effect on your product and business,
and the right measures should be taken at all times.
► Examples of microbiological contamination include pests by stored
product insects (SPIs), weeds and plant diseases using other
organisms of fungus growth.
► Consequences of contamination

► Recalls of products can not only cause financial losses, but also
seriously damage the reputation of many producers and sellers.
► Earlier this year, a producer of powdered baby milk had to recall over
12 million of its products due to a salmonella outbreak.
► The contamination infected at least 35 babies.
► The financial damage for the company is estimated on hundreds of
millions by the CEO of the company: not only in costs of the recall
and repairing production facilities, but also in financial compensation
for the affected families.
Food Preservative Methods
► Traditional methods for food preservation
► Curing: The basic concept in curing of foods like meat, fishes and vegetables is to
reduce the moisture contents by osmosis process. When moisture contents in any food
are much low, there are much lesser chances of getting microbial infection and
subsequently growth.
► Curing is also done for flavouring.
► It is done by adding salt, nitrates, sugar, nitrites in combinations which are capable of
dehydrating the food.
► Higher salt used for curing also dehydrates bacteria resulting in their killing. Not only
this, salt is also capable of slowing oxidation process resulting in slow oxidation offat
thus avoiding rancidity
► Freezing: Freezing the food at temperatures ranging fromminus 10oC
to minus 80oC for long term storage is much common technique at
the commercial scale as well as at homes.
► Under the freezing condition, microbes generally do not survive, and
if any already existing microbe survived, it will not multiply.
► However, in case of hot served foods, it is always essential to heat
the food above 75o C after bringing the food from freezer to room
temperature.
► Almost in all the countries,cold stores are used for long term storage
of fruits, vegetablesand many other foodstuffs.
► There are processed foodstuffs like waffles from potato which are
stored in a freezer but their raw material, potato tubers are stored
at a temperature rangingfrom 0o C to 10o C in a cold room if storage
has to be done for many months
Pickling
There are many customary ways including immersing
foodstuff in vinegar or vegetable oil, or anaerobic
fermentation by which lifespan of foods is increased and this
process is called as pickling.
This method changes the texture, flavour and taste of the
food and preserved stuff is generally called as pickle.
Pickle of many vegetables including carrot, cauliflower,
lemon and of raw mangoes is much used in Asian countries
including India. In many European countries, Canada and
USA, pickles of eggs, fish and meat among others are eaten.
► Refrigeration: Refrigeration is considered to be artificial
cooling to bring the temperature below room (ambient)
temperature where heat is transferred from low
temperature reservoir to high temperature reservoir
either mechanically or electrically using laser or
magnetically.
► Canning: The process of canning for extending the shelf
life of foodstuffs was discovered by Nicolas Appert, a
French confectioner in early nineteenth century.
► The process involves cooking of the food, and thereafter
sealing it in sterilized jars or cans, and boiling the
containers for sterilization.
► Under the conditions, there is killing or weakening of any
remaining microbe
► Boiling: It is a traditional way especially in developing
countries to boil water in order to kill microbes if any in
it, and thereafter, it is cooled to room temperature
before drinking.
► It is also customary to boil milk before drinking (even
pasteurized milk) in order to kill the microbes if any.
Modern methods for food preservation

► Pasteurization
► Freeze drying
► Chemical food preservatives
► Pascalization
► Vacuum packing
► Biopreservation
Factors Influencing Shelf Life of a
Packaged Product
► Water activity.
► Moisture content.
► pH.
► Salt content.
► Sugar content.
► Nutrient content.
► Oxidation potential