Why is food packaging important?

 

The main tasks of food packaging are to protect the food product from external influences and damage, to contain the food, and to provide customers with information on ingredients and nutrition. Traceability, convenience, and tamper evidence are increasingly important secondary functions. The goal of food packaging is to package food in a cost-effective manner that meets the needs of industry and customers, ensures food safety, and minimizes environmental impact.

 Let’s have a look at the factors that explain why food packaging is important?

 Protection/conservation

Food packaging delays product spoilage, preserves the beneficial effects of the process, prolongs shelf life, and maintains or increases the standard and safety of food. Therefore, the packaging offers protection against two main categories of external influences: biological and physical.

Biological protection provides a barrier against microorganisms (pathogens and spoilage agents), insects, rodents, and other animals, thus preventing disease and spoilage. In addition, biological barriers are conditioned to cope with senescence (maturation and aging). These barriers operate through a variety of mechanisms that prevent access to goods, prevent the transmission of odors and maintain the interior atmosphere of the package.

Physical protection protects food from mechanical damage and includes artifacts from shocks and vibrations that occur during distribution. Typically made from cardboard and corrugated materials, the physical barriers resist impact, abrasion, and crush damage, making them widely used as shipping and packaging containers for delicate foods like modern eggs and fruits. Acceptable physical packaging protects customers from many dangers at the same time. For example, child-resistant closures prevent access to potentially unsafe products. In addition, the replacement of products by plastic containers, from shampoos to soft drink bottles, has reduced the risk of breaking glass containers.

 Contain and reduce food waste

Any assessment of the impact of food packaging on the atmosphere must take into account the positive benefits of reducing waste throughout the supply chain. Vital food waste has been identified in several countries, ranging from 25% food to 50% fruits and vegetables. Improper preservation/protection, storage, and transportation are cited as causes of the waste. Food packaging reduces overall waste by extending the shelf life of food and thus prolonging its recyclability.

 Convenience

Convenience options such as easy access, handling, and disposal; Product visibility; possibility to close again; and microwave capacity have a great impact on packaging innovation. Therefore, food packaging plays an important role in minimizing the effort involved in organizing and serving food. Oven-safe trays, canning bags, and microwave-safe wrappers allow customers to prepare an entire meal without preparation. New types of closures provide easy clearance, reseability, and special dispensing options. As an example, a cookie maker recently introduced a multipurpose bag with a notched section that provides access to cookies. A membrane with a peelable seal covers the vacuum before the sale and allows it to be closed after the vacuum.

Advances in food packaging have accelerated the emergence of modern retail formats that provide customers with comprehensive convenience and accessibility to food from around the world. These practical options add value and competitive advantages to the product, but can also affect the amount and type of packaging waste that must be disposed of.