Food and Beverages Packaging

Food engineering is a multidisciplinary field which combines microbiology, applied physical sciences, chemistry and engineering for food and related industries. Food engineering includes, but is not limited to, the application of agricultural engineering, mechanical engineering and chemical engineering principles to food materials. Food engineers provide the technological knowledge transfer essential to the cost-effective production and commercialization of food products and services. Physics, chemistry, and mathematics are fundamental to understanding and engineering products and operations in the food industry.

Bio-based food packaging materials are derived from renewable sources and are potentially biodegradable that is composting (which is a technique for waste management). Bio based packaging materials include both edible coatings and edible films along with primary and secondary packaging materials. At the turn of the last century most non-fuel industrial products; dyes, inks, paint, medicines, chemicals, clothing, synthetic fibres and plastics were made from bio based resources. During the last years, the leading world research teams have been working on developing new biodegradable and edible packaging based on renewable biological sources, the so called “regulated life cycle materials”. By the 1970s petroleum derived materials had, to a large extent, replaced those materials derived from natural resources. Recent developments are raising the prospects that naturally derived resources again will be a major contributor to the production of industrial products. Bio based /green polymers in food packaging are the wave of the future. The Scientific challenge is to find such applications and thus to create the demand for large scale production of biopolymers/ biomaterials that would help in attaining the sustainable development of green materials in contrast to petroleum.

Most U.S. and European customers are becoming more concerned about the global impact of their purchases; manufacturers are meeting new demands with more recycled materials and biodegradable materials. Awareness of environmental issues is increasing. Consumers are looking for new goods and experiences that are specific to their needs and nowadays health consciousness is going mainstream. The rising need for reassurance that products are trustworthy when food safety is at risk. Practical products that become a key need for consumers on - the-go looking for instant gratification. One of the factors driving the change in what and how consumers eat is the growing influence of healthy and sustainable living, diet monitoring, consumer packaged goods, aging boomers and smaller households, and the need for fresh and unprocessed foods.

Food nanotechnology is an area of emerging interest and opens up a whole universe of new possibilities for the food industry. The basic categories of nanotechnology applications and functionalities currently in the development of food packaging include: the improvement of plastic materials barriers, the incorporation of active components that can deliver functional attributes beyond those of conventional active packaging, and the sensing and signalling of relevant information. Nano food packaging materials may extend food life, improve food safety, alert consumers that food is contaminated or spoiled, repair tears in packaging, and even release preservatives to extend the life of the food in the package. Nanotechnology applications in the food industry can be utilized to detect bacteria in packaging, or produce stronger flavours and colour quality, and safety by increasing the barrier properties. Nanotechnology holds great promise to provide benefits not just within food products but also around food products. In fact, nanotechnology introduces new chances for innovation in the food industry at immense speed, but uncertainty and health concerns are also emerging.

Robotic technologies have proved their place in helping to keep food and beverages safe. In no small part, this has been due to their ability to monitor and manage the packing stages of manufacture. What trends have fuelled the robot revolution? Packaging robots are extremely flexible and easy to integrate into a workspace. Some of the advantages of packaging robots include reduced part package time, ability to lift larger packages and labour cost reduction. With the right end of arm tooling, a robot can complete any packaging process. There is a large variety of robot sizes, mounting options, payload and reach available to choose from.

Packaging not only protects of food quality and safety, but also brings damage on the resources and the environment, and even leads to serious ecological problems. I will take food packaging as the research object, analyse the necessity of food packaging and the negative impact of packaging on the environment and explore the current problems in China’s food packaging system and analysis the China’s food packaging environmental pollution management approach.

Developed countries have been aware of the seriousness of the problem of packaging for environmental pollution since 1960s. The direct or indirect impacts of packaging on the environment include soil degradation, water pollution, and the sharp reduction of scarce resources such as forests, solid waste pollution and toxic chemical pollution. It seriously affected the sustainable development of resources and environment.

Traditional packaging systems perform the primary functions of containment, protection, convenience and communication, but consumer preferences toward quality and safe food with enhanced shelf life have resulted in the development of various new trends in the packaging systems. Jump to Trends in food packaging - Some packages contain desiccants or oxygen absorbers to help extend shelf life. Modified atmospheres or controlled atmospheres are also maintained in some food packages. Keeping the contents clean, fresh, and safe for the intended shelf life is a primary function.

Modern food packaging technology brings traditional foods into a global stage which emphasizes their commercial and economic aspects. This means that food and packaging technologists become involved in the entire food supply system. Packaging is the science of making the materials look more attractive to the consumer, while at the same time keeping the food fresh and palatable. One of the method of packaging of foods and beverages is home canned foods and for beverages. It is one of the oldest and common methods of packaging in homes are the use of home canning. Foods and drinks are placed in glass jars by heating and placing a rubber stopped jar top on the jar. It is the first method used to store foods in large quantities particularly in rural areas. Foil wraps are often used for packaging the pouches are filled and then the bottom top of the pouch is sealed with a heat seal similar to that of commercial frozen packaging. It allows the food to be sealed in the package without losing any residual moisture that may be present in the food.

When introducing new product to consumers it need to display originality in the packaging design. Consumers look for packaging that is visually pleasing and representative of the actual product. The package should demonstrate the company’s ability to uniquely display the product through colour, size, and logo. Effectively balancing innovation with cost-efficiency keeps the consumer’s needs at the forefront while still remaining effective in demonstrating the product and its benefits. Today’s packaging professionals must account for how a package must function, who is to use it, and what is the easiest and most suitable format for reuse, recycle, or refill. Innovation need to be managed with cost effective packaging.

Reaching consumers these days is difficult. No longer do traditional methods of advertising and marketing warrant sufficient attention of consumers or their dollars. Business owners, and advertisers alike, struggle to come up with creative ways to grab even the smallest bit of attention for their products. Creating an effective package design is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to do this, but it requires originality, point of difference, and the ability to connect with consumers.

The food and beverages market consists of sales of beverages, food, pet food and tobacco products by entities (organizations, sole traders and partnerships) that produce beverages, food, pet food and tobacco products. The companies in the food and beverages industry process raw materials into food, pet food and tobacco products, package and distribute them through various distribution channels to both individual customers and commercial establishments. The global food and beverages market is further segmented based on type and geography.

By Type - The food and beverages market is segmented into meat, poultry and seafood, bakery & confectionary, alcoholic – beverages, dairy, tobacco products, non-alcoholic – beverages, frozen and fruit & veg, syrup, seasoning, oils, & general food, grain products, and pet food. Among these segments, the meat, poultry and seafood market accounts for the largest share in the global food and beverages market.

By Geography - The global food and beverages is segmented into North America, South America, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Middle East and Africa. Among these regions, the Asia Pacific food and beverages market accounts the largest share in the global food and beverages market.

The Eco Design of Plastic Packaging shows how management processes, strategies and methods to develop packaging solutions can be implemented that are easy on the environment and conserve resources. It provides support for the development of suitable and modern packaging solutions. They are necessary for a circular economy that closes material loops, conserves natural resources and protects the climate.

There is no getting around it -some shipping needs require a sturdy and reliable material that isn’t going to break and can support heavy loads. While many of the alternatives based upon organic raw materials can be great for cushioning or filler, there are still times when only plastic will do. There is no need to cut back on your eco-credentials in these cases, however, as many plastic shipping materials and tools are now available made from 100 per cent recycled plastic. From drums, spill trays, and spill control pallets, you can choose eco-friendly shipping materials for all your shipping needs.

Recent advances in food chemistry, technology, and biotechnology have introduced new methodologies to keep food safe and flavourful for longer periods of time. Among these, the use of invisible, tasteless and odourless coatings is increasingly attracting the attention of a wide variety of subjects. Coating consists of a thin layer of edible film, applied to the surface of a food product to preserve its freshness. Numerous common hydrocolloid coating materials including different carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, or their composite mixtures have been described in the last twenty years. Many of them are able to modulate water vapour, O2 and CO2 permeability, possess acceptable mechanical properties and further features useful to maintain food flavour, texture and nutritional value and, some of them, provide also effective protection against bacteria. Moreover, edible coatings serve also as possible carriers for a wide range of food additives, including anti-browning agents, colorants, flavours, nutrients, spices that not only extend the shelf-life of the products, but also may improve their safety and acceptability. Finally, another interesting aspect in the edible film utilization is the possibility to recycle industrial carbohydrate and protein by-products, with the concurrent goal to manage lower waste amounts and reduce environmental pollution.

Packaging provides the means of protecting, transporting, and conserving the product that happens to be contained within. Nowadays, packaging also constitutes a powerful brand element, one that can be used to convey information, create value, persuade the consumer and modulate their behaviour. In this chapter, we introduce the topic and present packaging as a multisensory device capable of transforming the consumer's experience. We highlight the growing interest from both academic researchers and marketing professionals in packaging experiences that have been crafted to optimize the way packaging looks, sounds, feels, and even, in some cases, the way that it smells and/or tastes too. Importantly, we discuss how such interest is moving from the consideration of the impact of just a single sense at a time to a growing understanding that ultimately it is their interaction (i.e., the multisensory element) that is a key to driving the consumer response. Finally, we provide a brief overview of the chapters included in this volume, highlighting what we see as their key contribution to the emerging field of multisensory packaging design.

Chemical partitioning from the packaging into the food is known as migration. Migration is of relevance for smaller size compounds (below 1000 Da). The extent to which migration occurs depends on various factors:

The physico-chemical properties of the migrant, of the packaging material, and the food (e.g. fat content)

·         Temperature

·         Storage time

·         Size of the packaging in proportion to the foodstuff volume (smaller size packaging has a larger surface to volume ratio).

The types of chemicals that can migrate from packaging into food are highly diverse and depend on the type of packaging material. For inert materials (stainless steel, ceramic, glass), only chemicals from the inside surface, directly in contact with the foodstuff, can migrate. They transfer from the inner surface to the food by surface exchange. Chemical diffusion from within the packaging material or from the outside (printing inks, adhesives) is not possible. This inertness is due to the chemical structure, with pore sizes that are small and prevent molecules or single atoms from passing through. However, glass-packaged oily foods can be contaminated by migration of plasticizers (like epoxidised soy bean oil (ESBO) or phthalates) from the closure. Migration can be reduced by careful manufacturing or the use of specially developed low migration closures.

Non-inert materials, like paper and board or plastics, can be a direct source of migrants. Chemicals may also migrate from the outside through the packaging. An example are printing inks that have been shown to migrate through paper board  into dry foods. The large pore size of paper-based materials permits smaller molecules to migrate from the outside to the food inside. The use of barrier materials can reduce food contamination significantly. For example, carton with an inner bag that contains the foodstuff and that is made of aluminium foil or plastics with barrier properties.

Barrier & Paper Packaging: Moisture control is crucial in food packaging — you either want to keep the moisture inside or outside of the packaging to preserve the food. Packaging material performance is guided by moisture and oxygen transmission rates. When food grade paper is needed for dry food packaging to keep contents fresh, provide a long shelf life, and allow customers to derive the maximum value from the product, great barrier coatings are essential.

The barrier-coated papers from Feldmuehle are based on white pulp fibres from certified forestry. A special multi-layer coating application produces a dense and closed paper surface that prevents both contaminations by gaseous mineral oils and penetration of greases through the packaging. All components used in this process are approved for direct food contact and are free of fluorocarbons.

Nanomaterials have drawn great interest in recent years due to their extraordinary properties that make them advantageous in food packaging applications. Specifically, nanoparticles can impart significant barrier properties, as well as mechanical, optical, catalytic, and antimicrobial properties into packaging. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and nan clay account for the majority of the Nano-enabled food packaging on the market, while others, such as Nano-zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium, share less of the current market. In current food packaging, these nanomaterials are primarily used to impart antimicrobial function and to improve barrier properties, thereby extending the shelf life and freshness of packaged food. On the other hand, there is growing concern about the migration of nanomaterials from food contact materials to foodstuffs and its associated potential risks. Indeed, insufficient data about environmental and human safety assessments of migration and exposure of nanomaterials are hindering their market growth.

Sanitary and hygienic design takes into account all the machinery and related infrastructure involved in processing food for public consumption. Different places use different methods depending on the type of product produced or served. But there are common standards and best practices that all manufacturers should be following to prevent accidental contamination of food sources.

Safety is a global issue that concerns all food manufacturers. In order to sell their products with complete peace of mind, they must indeed be certain that their manufacturing and packaging process is not a potential source of contamination, be it biological, chemical or physical. In order to help them with that central point, the French manufacturers of food processing equipment have entered over 20 years ago in a collective work for defining design rules that ensure the highest level of hygiene. We here below propose an overview of the main points you should look at to evaluate the quality of your equipment from an hygienic point of view.

The scope of this study is limited to bottles, metal cans, cartons, jars, and pouches made by plastic, paper, metal, and glass. The study also covers different baby food products like liquid milk formula, dried baby food, powder milk formula, and prepared baby food. High birth rate, increasing consumer awareness, and increasing number of working women are the factors driving the demand for baby food packaging solutions. The growing consumer preference for eco-friendly pouch packaging has increased the adoption for flexible packaging. Another factor augmenting the need for packaging solutions is the innovation led by baby food manufacturers, to meet varying consumer needs. Companies are increasingly using sustainable and recyclable packaging materials. They are constantly looking for green, innovative, and recyclable alternatives of normal packaging. A significant growth in the middle class has opened new opportunities in the baby food packaging market, as the need for products that are compatible with a working woman's schedule is growing.

Why is packaging such a key concern? It’s the one thing that shields a product from breakage and spoilage, but also safeguards it from coming in contact with harmful external elements that can make people sick. It's also the first thing shoppers see when browsing products at the retail level.

The importance of safety and functionality analysis of foodstuffs and raw materials is supported by national legislations and European Union (EU) directives concerning not only the amount of residues of pollutants and pathogens but also the activity and content of food additives and the health claims stated on their labels. In addition, consumers’ awareness of the impact of ‘functional foods’ on their well-being and their desire for daily healthcare without the intake pharmaceuticals has immensely in recent years. Within this picture, the availability of fast, reliable, low cost control systems to measure the content and the quality of food additives and nutrients with health claims becomes mandatory, to be used by producers, consumers and the governmental bodies in charge of the legal supervision of such matters. This review aims at describing the most important methods and tools used for food analysis, starting with the classical methods (e.g., gas-chromatography GC, high performance liquid chromatography HPLC) and moving to the use of biosensors—novel biological material-based equipment’s.

The food industry deals with highly sensitive products. This is one of the key reasons behind maintaining quality standards and adhering to quality requirements, which are imperative for players in the food industry. When it comes to food items, most of us tend to repeatedly buy the same brand which we perceive is of good quality and matches our expectations. Also, in the case of companies in this industry, even a small incident where the quality of products has been compromised could tarnish the brand image. Consequently, the company’s profits could go crashing down the hill. This makes having appropriate quality control measures highly necessary for brands dealing in food products. Quality control (QC) is a reactive process and aims to identify and rectify the defects in finished products. It can be achieved by identifying and eliminating sources of quality problems to ensure customer’s requirements are continually met. It involves the inspection aspect of quality management and is typically the responsibility of a specific team tasked with testing products for defects.

Food deterioration during storage is a major environmental problem and is a major concern of food industry. Microorganism contamination during storage and some pathogenic fungi species are mainly responsible for this kind of spoilage. Oxidation is another major cause of degradation of materials and foods. Using natural safe botanical source preservatives like essential oils to prevent food contamination and deterioration is a main consideration of food industry. Essential oil of summer damask rose is safe natural oil that has antioxidant, antifungal, and antibacterial activity. Therefore, it is a useful agent to use in the food industry in order to avoid food spoilage, contamination, destruction, and oxidation. In addition, this oil is usable as a flavouring agent in foodstuff as well as in perfume industries to provide a better quality to the fragrances.

Several reactions between components of packaging materials lead under certain circumstances to sensorial active compounds, which diminish the quality of the package and often the quality of the packaged food The conjugated unsaturated carbonyl compounds constitute an important class with many examples of such reaction products with off-odor properties This paper will attempt to evaluate off-odors in special consideration of this class of organic compounds.

The food supply chain point to each link from primary production to consumption and operation order, includes that food and its accessories production, distribution, storage and processing (including in food production, the production of animal feed on, and the material may contact with food and raw materials production).The current studies of food supply chain mainly stay in from the Angle of the qualitative to analysis the risk factors, and puts forward some countermeasures to prevent or solve the risk. The food supply chain and the general industry supply chain is different, they think the food supply chain risk mainly includes the technology risk, information risk, coordination, quality safety risk, in order to strengthen the management of production source, to ensure the quality and safety of agricultural products (food), mainly from the following five aspects: accelerate the process of agricultural standardization; implementation the whole process supervision of inputs, establish a product traceability system, and establish agricultural production operator self-discipline mechanism, establish a sound system of agricultural product quality safety risk assessment (food).

Maintaining food security has become unconditional when it comes to food trade and customer demand. The food put on the market has to be of good quality and safe for consumption, as well as not be a source of disease and infection. For this reason, securing food safety and quality is a matter of international significance and a responsibility of food producers and governments. During the process of distribution food products go through all stages of supply chain, i. e. all processes which describe how food travels from a farm to the consumers’ tables. The aim of this strategy, called "from the field to the table", is to achieve full supervision of food safety in the modern world, because the journey leading from food production to the consumer is very time-and space consuming. Along this journey, there are many dangers of food contamination, be it in the very production, during the transport, food storage, or food preparation. In order to enable food quality and sanitary safety of food products, companies have to follow legislations, standards and norms at every stage of supply chain. The aim of this paper is to show how food safety and quality is legally regulated during the distribution in the supply chain, and the ways in which companies ensure a certain high level of hygiene and temperature levels that different kinds of food products require.

Sustainable packaging is widely discussed at conferences and in the packaging media, there is no consensus as to what it is. Many in the packaging industry are confused; consumers are also very confused and the potential exists for unscrupulous companies to market packages as ‘sustainable’ when they are not and thus mislead consumers. However, a single definition of sustainable packaging is unfeasible, as the sustainability of a packaging material intrinsically depends on aspects specific to its life cycle, such as its manufacturing process, the length of its supply chain, its use and finally its disposal options. Many professionals would even argue that there is no such thing as ‘sustainable packaging’. Rather there are improvements that can be made to the packaging’s attributes and its manufacturing process in order to reduce its life cycle impacts and improve the efficiency of the supply chain. Sustainable packaging is important because it reduces the ecological footprint of all the stages in the product's life-cycle. It helps both the producer and the consumer reduce their environmental impact.