Types of Food Packaging

Food products are the items that play an important role and hence are an integral part of our daily life. Food that we consume should be fresh and safe and the packaging directly affects the safety, freshness and overall shelf life of it. Food is more susceptible to damages than any other item in the world. The manufacturers are bound to take utmost care of their food products after production till the time they are sold, because even the smallest ignorance can lead to a huge financial loss as well as wastage of time and labor. When the food items are produced, the most important thing to be done is its packing. The packing depends on various factors like the type of food item, the process of production, the quality of the food, etc. Since, there are different types of food products, there are also different ways of packaging them. The following part of the article will throw light on the types of food packaging.

Materials Used for Food Packaging Containers

Plastic, glass, metal, aluminum and cardboard are the common types of materials used for making the packaging containers. We will look at each type of food packaging that makes use of these materials to store food.

Glass
It is used to make glass jars and bottles and is mostly used for storing liquids and sauces. The lid of the jar and the bottle cap keep the food product fresh, and the packed food does not require refrigeration before the first opening. These containers are breakable but, if handled with proper care, can protect the food for a long time. They are the best refrigerator storage devices for leftover food. Another advantage of a glass jar would be that the consumer can see the product inside if the glass is transparent, but sometimes it is invisible because the container is colored dark in order to prevent exposure to light.

Aluminum
We all are aware about the use of aluminum foils for keeping the food warm and fresh. The best thing about the aluminum containers is that they are inexpensive and made out of recycled materials. But, if steel is the main component in the aluminum cans, it is not easily recycled. Aluminum is also reusable. It can protect beverages like juices, beer and soft drinks for longer periods. It is cheaper and hence convenient to use for packaging large quantities.

Plastic
It is one of the most common materials used for packaging and comes in a wide variety of containers, wraps, buckets, bags, etc. The buckets are useful in storing items in bulk like wheat, cereals, sugar, rice, etc. The wrap is a thin film with a sticky tape used to seal the containers after putting the product inside it. Plastic food pouches have become very popular nowadays because it is lightweight, small to fit in the pocket and reusable. Plastic bags are also very useful to increase the shelf life and maintain the freshness of the product. A technology called as Modified Atmosphere Conditions (MAP) allows to control the atmospheric conditions inside the bag resulting into a slower deterioration. The items that are extremely moisture free can be stored in the plastic bags for long without adopting the above technology. However, there is a problem with storing the food products in plastic containers. These containers or buckets do not have the capacity to stop the oxygen entry into the container. There is a slow transmission of oxygen through the polyethylene walls into the container. What you can do for this is, you can use oxygen barrier bags made out of plastic or metal to increase the shelf life of the product.

Metal
Metal cans or containers are commonly used to store items like vegetables and fruits as they have an airtight seal and can preserve these items for a considerable amount of time. It is advisable to make use of plastic or metal wraps to seal the containers like plastic bags to block oxygen transmission. The metal cans have an inner coating to prevent the food from reacting with the metal and getting contaminated while the heating process is on.

Paper and Cardboard
Tubes and cans are made out of cardboard to store snacks, spices, nuts, etc. These containers are environmentally friendly, as they are made from wood pulp. Dried food products can be stored in it for a long time maintaining its original condition. Paper in also used to make lightweight cartons and bags and sometimes as a colorful outer cover for the products packed in plastic or metal containers.

Other type of food packaging is clamshell packaging which is also one of the most useful ones. Henceforth, do not let your food products get damaged only because of unawareness or incomplete knowledge about its packaging. Make use of the above types of food packaging, which you can utilize according to the need of your food product.