Food Packaging Materials

1. 1.Plastic : A plastic is defined as an organic material that
has the ability to flow into a desired shape when heat and
pressure are applied and to retain that shape when they
are withdrawn.
Advantage of plastic :
Plastics are widely used in food packaging
because they are:
 versatile - plastics can be flexible or rigid, and can be
moulded into shapes.
 resistant to acids and other chemicals
 easy to print on
 light weight
 cheap to produce.
Disadvantages of plastics:
 Plastic is a nonrenewable resources.
 Plastic is softness.
 Causes CANCER
 deformation under load.
 low heat resistant and poor ductility.
 combustibility.

2.  Produces toxic fumes when it is burnt
 It is a recycle process, but it is very costly.
2.Which Plastics are Used : Six resins account for almost
97 percent of all plastic used in packaging.
 Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – 9%
 High-density polyethylene (HDPE) – 29%
 Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) – 32%
 Poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) – 5%
 Poly-propylene (PP) – 11%
 Polystyrene (PS) – 11%
3.Chemicals are used in polythene : Polypropylene,
Polyvinyl Chloride , Polyvinylidene Dichloride, Polystyrene (PS)
4.Environmental Impact of plastic :
1.Plastic also has a positive impact on the environment.
Consider the following fact:

3. --------When comparing the manufacturing processes of
polystyrene and paper cups, it was found the the paper cups
use:
• 15 times more chemicals.
• More than 6 times more steam.
• 13 times more electricity.
• 30% more cooling water.
• 170 times more process water.
------The lightweight nature of plastics results in fewer
truckloads and less fuel usage.
5.Why do we need food packaging? Or purpose of food
packaging .
• To protect food – packaging contains the product (stops it
from spilling). It also protects the product from damage.

4. • To keep food safe to eat – packaging protects the food
from micro-organisms (e.g. bacteria), pollution or vermin.
This means the food is kept safe to eat.
• To provide information – information on the packaging can
help the customer. It shows when to eat food by, and how
to store it safely.
• It should provide a barrier against dirt and other
contaminants thus keeping the product clean
• It should prevent losses. For example, packages should be
securely closed to prevent leakage
• It should protect food against physical and chemical
damage. For example the harmful effects of air, light,
insects, and rodents. Each product will have its own needs
• The package design should provide protection and
convenience in handling and transport during distribution
and marketing
• It should persuade the consumer to purchase the food.
Food packaging : a product made from any material such as
paper, glass, plastic, aluminum and wood that is used for the
containment, protection, handling, delivery and presentation of
goods from raw to processed goods.

5. Desirable properties of food packaging :
• Safe, non-toxic
• Hygienic
• Easy to open and reseal
• Attractive
• Economical
• Strong
• Biodegradable or recyclable
• Odourless
Glass container :
1.Properties :
Glass has many properties which make it a popular choice as a
packaging material:
· glass is able to withstand heat treatments such as
pasteurization and sterilization
· it does not react with food
· it is rigid and protects the food from crushing and bruising
· it is impervious to moisture, gases, odours and microorganisms
· it is re-usable, re-sealable and recyclable
· it is transparent, allowing products to be displayed.

6. 2.Disadvantage :
· glass is heavier than many other packaging materials and this
may lead to higher transport costs
· it is easy to fracture, scratch and break if heated or cooled too
quickly
· potentially serious hazards may arise from glass splinters or
fragments in the food.
. fragility, heavy mass, and high energy requirement during
Manufacturing.
3.Advantage : Chemically inert - wont react with its contents
1. Non porous
2. Odourless & hygienic
3. Contents can be seen as glass is transparent
4. Great strength (continually getting stronger &
lighter)
5. Easy open & re-sealable
6. Variety of shapes & sizes
7. Long-term storage & extended shelf-life
8. Sustainable - can be recycled or re-used
9. reusable
10. heat-resistant
11. recyclable

7. 4.Uses : Semi-liquid, liquid & solid foods.
Cans :a closed metal container that is usually
shaped like a cylinder and that holds food or drink.
1.Advantage :
-Cheap & widely used
-Provides good protection of the contents
-Easy to handle during manufacture (filling
stacking & packing)
-Stack easily on supermarket shelves
-Store for long periods of time
2. Disadvantage :
- Cans that have bulges or dents, Air may have entered
so there is a risk of microbial contamination.
- Lacquer may be damaged & food may have reacted
with the metal Canned food do not have a use-by date as
they are required only on foods with a shelf life less than 2
years
- Canned food do not have a use-by date as they are only
required on foods that have a shelf life of less than 2 years.

8. 3. Uses : 1.Steel can Used for solid & semi-solid foods.
2.Aluminium can used for soft drinks & beer.
Paper : Paper is a thin material produced by pressing
together moist fibres of cellulose pulp derived
from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible
sheets.
Advantage :
-Used for a wide variety of products
-Versatile & cost effective
-Variety of shapes, textures & thickness' available
- easy to print on
- biodegradable
- recyclable
- can be moulded
- can be coated
- lightweight
Disadvantage : - not water-resistant
- easily damaged
- its high sensitivity to moisture, reflected in
close dependence on the relative humidity of the
environment.

9. Uses : -- paper board used for products such as milk cartons,
cereal boxes, shoe boxes and frozen food packaging.
-- Paper bags are ideal as a container to hold compostable
waste.
-- Paper Shipping Sacks are often used as containers to ship
bulk materials such as fertilizer, animal feed, sand, dry
chemicals, flour and cement.
Selection of right packaging materials :
Material selection is based on:
 technical properties (strength, flexibility, etc.)
 fitness for purpose (moisture barrier, cushioning, etc.)
 availability
 manufacturing capability
 cost
 environmental impact
 regulations

10. labeling : A label is a carrier of information about the product.
The attached label provides customers with information to aid
their purchase decision or help improve the experience of using
the product.
These are the items on the label that are required by law.
 manufacturer's name and contact details
 name of the product
 description of the product
 weight (some foods are exempt, for example bread)
 ingredients (listed in descending order of weight)
 cooking/heating instructions
 storage instructions
 shelf life
 place of origin
 allergy information

11. Types of material used in food packaging :
Types of packaging materials :
1. Cardboard :
Most products that are packaged in cardboard boxes are
first wrapped in another type of packaging such as bubble
wrap or foam. It is highly recyclable.
2. Aluminium foil & laminates :
Most foils made from aluminium .Advantages:light,flexible,
strong,Able to withstand moderate heat.

12. Laminates are used to combine the properties of individual
foil and films and strictly are made by bonding the layer
with adhesive .
3. Papers :
Pulp products are widely used in food packaging in the
form of different kinds of paper, paperboard, laminates,
and corrugated board.
The main advantages of paper are its low cost, low mass,
relatively high stiffness, and excellent printability;
the main disadvantage is its high sensitivity to moisture,
reflected in close dependence on the relative humidity of
the environment.
4. Glass :
Glass jars and bottles are highly used for numerous food
and beverage products including jam, honey, alcoholic
beverages and food items such as pickles and peppers.
Although glass is extremely fragile it makes for an
excellent, well-sealed packaged for any perishable
products.
5. Metal (Steel ,Tin, Aluminum):
Steel, tin, and aluminum are used mainly for canned foods
and beverages. The most common use of metals for
packaging is in tin-coated steel and aluminum cans.
The principal advantages of metal cans are their strength
providing mechanical protection, effective barrier

13. properties, and resistance to high temperatures providing
stability during processing.
disadvantage in that contents are: invisible, heavy mass,
high cost, and tendency to interact with contents and
environment (internal and external corrosion).
6. Plastics
Plastics are widely used in food packaging because they
are: versatile ,resistant to acids and other chemicals,easy
to print on,lightweight,cheap to produce.
Method of packaging :
1.Modified-Atmosphere Packaging : The modification of
the atmosphere generally implies a reduction of O2 content
or an increase of the CO2 concentration, but in some cases
changing the level of carbon monoxide (CO),ethylene,
ethanol, or other compounds in the atmosphere can also
contribute to shelf-life extension.
After closing the package, the respiration of the product
will cause a decrease in the oxygen content and an
increase in the carbon dioxide content.
2.Active Packaging : In some cases, a package cannot be
designed in such a way that optimal conditions will be
reached passively.
“Active packaging” can then provide a solution, by adding
materials that absorb or release a specific compound in the

14. gas phase. Compounds that can be absorbed are carbon
dioxide ,oxygen, water vapor, ethylene, or volatiles that
influence taste and aroma.
3.Vaccum packaging :Vacuum packaging the product is
placed in an air-tight pack, the air sucked out and the
package sealed. By removing air from around the product,
the levels of oxygen in the packaging are reduced,
impeding the ability of oxygen-breathing microorganisms
to grow and spoil the product. The lack of oxygen also
reduces the amount of spoilage due to oxidation.
A certain amount of oxygen will remain, however, because
it is not possible to create a total vacuum.
4.Modified-Humidity Packaging; Modifiedhumidity
packaging (MHP), however, is designed for products where
dehydration causes the most important quality losses, and
therefore focuses on controlling water vapor levels. When
products such as leafy vegetables or bell peppers are not
packed, quality losses can be observed very soon. MHP
systems are designed to control not only dehydration but
also condensation.
5.Aseptic packaging : Is considered the most appropriate
way of packaging for pulsed electric fields (PEF) processed
foods.
6.Smart packaging : A package can be made smart
through its functional attributes that add benefits to the
food and hence the consumers.

15. Food stabilizer : "Stabilisers are substances or chemicals that
allow food ingredients, which do not mix well, to remain in a
homogenous state after blending."
Purpose of Stabilisers:
 They maintain the consistency of the food
 Food stabilisers do not allow the separation of ingredients that are
bound together by emulsifiers.
Common Food Stabilisers:
 Alginic acid is a popular food stabiliser that is derived from
brown algae is used in ice-cream and syrups that we use
on desserts.
 Agar is also used as a food stabilisers in the food products
like canned meat and pudding.
 Carrageenan is like agar that is also obtained from red
algae. It is used in shampoos.
 Gum Arabic found in hard jelly sweets and soft drinks.
 Pectin or calcium chloride are used as food stabilisers in
dairy products.
 Guar gum Uses include baked goods and bakery fillings,
thickening dairy products like yoghurt and milk, and as a
stabiliser in sauces and dressings. It is also used in meat
products.

16.  Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose found in a variety of
products such as breads and cakes, ice creams, and milk
and fruit drinks.
 Xanthan gum is commonly found in sauces and salad
dressings, where it acts as a stabiliser and helps prevent
the emulsion from separating.
Types of packaging :

17. Types of additives use in food :
Types of additives Example
1. Acids vinegar , citric
acid, and ascorbic
acid (vitamin C).
2. Anticaking agents sodium bicarbonate,Calcium
silicate, iron ammonium
citrate, silicon dioxide.
3. Bulking agents Modified food starch or
modified corn starch
4. Food coloring Brilliant Blue,Indigotine,
Erythrosine,Tartrazine
5. Emulsifiers sodium phosphates, lecithin,
and diglycerides,
6. Stabilizers / gelling agents Pectin , agar
7. Thickeners Xantham gum,Gelatin,
pectin, guar gum,
carrageenan.
8. Flavors enhancers Monosodium glutamate
(MSG), hydrolyzed soy
protein, disodium guanylate
9. Humectants Glycerine, sorbitol
10. Preservatives Sorbic acid,Benzoic acid, and
benzoate,Sulphur dioxide and
sulphite compounds,Nitrite
and nitrate compounds.
11. Sweeteners Sugar,high fructose corn
syrup, splenda ,sucralose

18. Relationship between environment and packaging
Packaging takes a lot of energy, water and other natural
resources to produce. Over the last thirty years, we’ve doubled
the amount of natural resources we use (per capita), including
metal(aluminium, tin, steel) sand (for glass) and trees (for paper
and cardboard),Plastic.When we throw away that packaging -
most of it after only one use - these natural resources are lost
.Packaging waste pollutes our air, water and soil. The litter it
creates also ends up in many places that it shouldn’t - blocking
our stormwater drains and causing serious problems for our
wildlife. Often it ends up in our streams, rivers and the ocean.
Here it can be mistaken by marine life and birds as food,
causing serious injuries. Each home produces 1 ton
waste/year.1/3 is packaging and ½ of this is recyclable. By
recycling our packaging we can recover some of the energy
used to create it and reduce our greenhouse gas.
Metal: 3% domestic waste, recycling saves raw materials and
energy. Recycling aluminium cans uses only 5% of energy
needed to make them from scratch.
Glass: 7.5% domestic waste, reusable and recyclable, numerous
collection points, collected glass is crushed and used as a
substitute for raw materials, conserves energy, raw materials
and production cost

19. Paper: environmentally friendly packaging, readily recycled,
recycling conserves trees saves energy, reduces waste.