Covers export standards of various packaging materials for food products.

1. Packaging material- export
standards
By,
k.Vinitha
2018694619
M.Tech fpe

2. • Selecting and preparing the product for export requires not only product knowledge but also
knowledge of the unique characteristics of each market being targeted.
• The packaging design should be based on the consumer needs.
• In industrial products, the pack should be considered for its usage and for its storing, pouring, re-use,
etc.
• For consumer products, the pack might have various functions: protective, informative,
merchandising & conforming to legal requirements and buying habits.
• The labeling and packaging may have to alter to comply with the targeted country’s labeling or
environmental regulations.
• Packaging is influenced by international guidelines such as Codex Alimentarius, ISO standards,
national health, safety, environmental & consumer protection measures and regulations affecting the
product packaging concerned.
Introduction:

3. Export packaging material requirements:
1. All packaging materials used in fabricating, forming, or treating packages shall be of food
grade for contact with foods.
2. They shall be clean and in a condition that does not allow any contamination probabilities
of the contained material.
3. They shall maintain the properties of the packaged material and protect it from gaining
undesirable odors, flavors and tastes.
4.. They shall be impermeable to moisture in the cases of food products that require it.
5. They shall not affect the container as a result of migration of some of their constituents
that may react or be mixed with the food materials.

5. • The regulations for product labelling, marking and packaging vary from country to country, however
certain basic information is constant in all regulations.
• These regulations are a policy instrument of governments which regulates the presentation of product-
specific information relating to particular consumer groups in their respective country.
Packaging material for exports :
• Provides health/safety and nutrition information including instructions for safe handling,
nutritional profile or other specific information relevant to recommended possible uses of the
product.
• Provides information on non-use characteristics surround the products manufacturing process .
e.g. .halal foods.
• Provides a vehicle for marketing, promotion and competition as it can advertise and promote
product sales and trade via their labels, promotional information and label claims.

6. Marking means to mark the address, number of packages etc. on the packets.
• It is essential for identification purpose and should provide information on
exporters' mark, port of destination, and place of destination, order number and date,
gross, net and tare weight and handling instructions.
• It should also be ensured that while putting marks, the law of buyer's country is duly
compiled with.
• Marking can be included in stickers, labels, tags, or paint.
Label is an information tag , wrapper, seal or imprinted message attached to a
product.
• A label’s main function is to inform about the contents and give directions.
Information about product use, care other features.
• Many package labels must meet local, state, and federal standards to prevent
manufacturers from misleading consumers.
• Labeling should be in English, and words indicating country of origin should be as
large and as prominent as any other English wording on the package or label.

8. Inspection and Certification in India:
(1) The fresh fruit shall be inspected by the Indian Plant Quarantine Authority and shall also be
accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate to recognize that they are not infested with any pests or diseases.
(2) Phytosanitary certificate shall bear the additional remarks:
(A) That the subject fruit is not infested with Bactrocera dorsalis species complex and Melon fly (hereinafter
referred to as “fruit Flies”).
(B) That the fruits have been disinfested
Marking / Labelling :
• Identification of the product (mango and variety name)
• Amount contained (count and net weight)
• Source (country of origin, grower, packer, shipper/exporter; traceback code)
• Special treatments (waxing)
• Responsible party in the importing country with contact information

9. • A comprehensive set of specifications for packaging of fresh
fruits and vegetables is essential to help farm producers to
effectively market their produce in a safe and cost effective
manner - in the domestic as well as export markets.
• The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export
Development Authority (APEDA) and the Indian Institute of
Packaging (IIP) develops packaging standards for fresh fruits,
vegetables and as per the international requirements.
Packaging of fresh fruits and vegetables:

10. The transport boxes are developed from corrugated fibre board as per the international
practice, taking into consideration the following factors.
• Nature of the produce
• Net weight of contents
• Stacking during transportation
• Mode of transportation
Box styles considered for fruits and vegetables:
• RSC (0201)
• Telescopic (0300)
• Telescopic (0306)
• Telescopic (0312)

11. Material of Construction* Corrugated Fibre board
External Dimensions (mm) 320 x 230 x 90
No. of Plies 5.0
Direction of Flutes Vertical
No. of Ventilation Holes 16.0
Compression Strength of Box (Kgf) 450
Bursting Strength of Board (Kg /
cm2)
14.0
Joint By gluing
Diameter (mm) of Holes 20.0

12. In case oranges the box design is telescopic (0320) is preferred
Box with moulded pulp trays :
• Moulded pulp trays with cavities to hold individual orange are used.
• Depending upon the size of the orange, moulded trays are made to suit each
size and therefore the number of oranges per tray may vary.
• Each box is meant to hold about 15 Kgs of oranges.
• Depending upon the size/number of oranges, 4 to 5 layers of trays are packed
per box.
Box with slotted partitions:
• Slotted partitions of corrugated fibre board are placed inside the box and
individual oranges are placed in each slot.
• Individual layers are separated by CFB plates.
• As in the above case the number of oranges/number of layers vary depending
upon the orange size.

14. BROCOLLI:
• Flexible Plastic Pouch
6 pouches of 250 gm. capacity are packed in one layer inside a RSC (0201) or Telescopic (0300),
(0306) and (0312) type box.
• Stretch Wrapped (Individually)
6 nos. of individually stretch wrapped broccoli of capacity 250 gm. capacity are packed in one layer
inside a RSC (0201) or Telescopic (0300), (0312) type box.
CHERRY TOMATO :
• Plastic Punnet with Lid
8 plastic punnets of 250 gm. capacity are packed in one layer inside a one piece tuck-in-type box
which is tray type.
• EPS tray Stretch wrapped
The box styles considered are RSC (0201), Telescopic (0300), (0306) and (0312). 8 consumer packs
of 250 gm. Are placed in 2 x 2 x 2 manner. The two layers are separated by a CFB plate

15. Type of Fabric Hessian
Grammage (g/m2) 270
Breaking Load (kgf)
Warpway
110
Weftway 95
Seam Strength (kgf)
Bottom Seam
34
Side Seam 36
Stitching 10 mm from the edge.
no of stitches per 10 cm shall be
between 9 & 11
Jute Bag
Type of material Poly propylene
Denier 700
Mesh
Warp per inch
5 pairs
Weft per inch 5 tapes
Stitching Bottom sewing by
chain sewing type.
Mouth sewing by
over lock or chain
stitching.
Leno bag:

16. GREEN CHILLIES / OKRA /BRINJAL

17. Transportation by air:
For international trade the ISO has specified two standard dimensions as the primary handling
unit size, these are;
a) 1200 x 1000 mm
b) 1200 x 800 mm
Transportation by sea:
The bulk pack of potatoes are sent as containerized cargo either in refrigerated containers,
ordinary general purpose containers with one door kept open for air circulation or star vent
containers in which fans are fitted inside the container for air circulation. The standard internal
dimensions of a 20 ft refrigerated containers are:
5364 x 2255 x 2255 mm.

18. As per Saudi Arabia standards, the following labeling information should be written on labels of
plastic packages used to package foodstuffs:
1. Type of plastic material
2. Weight, capacity, number, or dimensions based on the type of packages
3. Statement of food grade
4. Purpose and type of application
5. Directions for usage
6. Warnings if applicable
Packaging:
A. The fruit shall be packed in a plastic bag (air holes of the bag must be less than 1.6 mm in diameter)
and then packed in a box with ventilation.
B. Ventilation holes of the package shall be screened (diagonal of the screen must be less than 1.6 mm).
C. Package or bundled packages shall be fully covered with screen (Diagonal of the net must be less
than 1.6 mm).
EXPORT TO JAPAN

19. EXPORT TO USA
:
• Each individual fruit of mango will be enclosed in a clean, white, soft,
expandable and netted type polystyrene sleeve to prevent bruising before
packing in a box.
• The mangoes must be packed in insect-proof boxes.
• If ventilated boxes are used, all the ventilator openings of the box should
be covered with insect-proof screen of a minimum of 30 meshes per linear
inch
• All the sides of box should be sealed with adhesive tape to prevent any
entry of pests.
• The package boxes having dimensions of 370 X 275 X 90 mm should be
used for packing export mangoes, as approved by USDA-APHIS.
• The label should be are appropriately marked/stamped on left-half side
indicating Production Unit Code Number (PUC), Packinghouse Code
Number (PHC), Date of Packing, and Lot Number.

20. Packaging standards- spices :
• India is known as the “Home of Spices” and produces a large variety and quantity of spices.
• About sixty-three varieties of spices are grown in the country, which includes Pepper (King of
Spices), Cardamom (Queen of Spices), Chillies, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin and many others.
• India exports spices to 130 countries in the world, of the total spices produced in the country, (with
the exception of pepper) only a small quantity of about 6-7% is exported.
• Increase export earnings from spice oils and oleoresins as the global industry is increasingly leaning
towards natural flavours.

21. Export packaging material requirements:
• The packaging material should have a high barrier property to prevent aroma/flavor losses
and ingress of external odour.
• The volatile oil present in the spice product has a tendency to react with the inner/contact
layer of the packaging material, at times leading to a greasy and messy package with smudging
of the printed matter.
• The packaging material should therefore be grease and oil resistant and compatible with the
product.
• Besides the above functional requirements, the packaging material should be easy disposable
Powdered spices are traded in bulk quantities and only a small portion is packed in value added consumer packs
(100g-1kg).
Conventionally spices were exported in bulk packages ,Spices Board and the Government of India, exports in branded

22. Bulk Packaging:
• The traditional method is to use gunny/jute bags for packaging of
whole spices, with capacities of 10kg to 70kg.
• The jute bags may be provided with/without a loose liner bag of
polyethylene
• At times double gunny bags are also used, especially for whole black
pepper.
• The double gunny bag is provided with an inner polyethylene liner.
• The quality of the jute fabric used with respect to the grammage and
the weave (ends/picks) varies from one trader to the other.
• A variety of jute fabrics such as hessian, A-twill, heavy Cee etc. are
used.

23. • Spice traders/packers use alternate bulk packaging media such as
woven plastic bags which may be laminated or provided with a loose
liner bag and multiwall paper sacks with a plastic liner bag.
• Jumbo bags (Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers) (FIBCs) for
export of spices.Capacity ranges up to 1 tonne.
• Bags are flexible, collapsible and durable
• Product wastage / spillage and tampering can be avoided
• Bags are light in weight and, therefore, freight costs are reduced
• Creates eco-friendly, pollution free working atmosphere

24. Institutional packages:
• capacities ranging from 2kg to 10kg. The variety of packages used include laminated flexible pouches and
plastic woven sacks which replace traditional material like tinplate containers and jute bags.
Consumer packages:
• Glass bottles of various sizes and shapes with labels and provided with metal or plastic caps
• Printed tinplate container with/without dispensing systems
• Plastic containers with plugs and caps with dispensing and tamper evidence features
• Printed flexible pouches – pillow pouch, gusseted pouch, stand-up pouch.
• The printed flexible pouches are generally laminates of various compositions.
Some of the commonly used laminates are:
 Polyester/metallised polyester/LDPE
 BOPP/LDPE
 BOPP/metallised polyester/LDPE
 Polyester/Al foil/LDPE
Polyester used for lamination is generally 10 or 12μ thick.

25. • Oleoresins and volatile oils are sensitive to light and are highly volatile in nature.
• The spices mainly products are packed in epoxy coated narrow mouth aluminium container of 1 to 5
litres capacity.
• Stretch blown PET bottles are also being used because of their excellent barrier properties to oxygen and
volatile oils and compatibility with the product.
• 5 litres food grade HDPE Jerry cans and 25kg wide mouth HDPE containers with high thickness are also
used.