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Food packages: safe, efficient, smart and sustainable

In this interpack technical article, new packaging technologies are discussed that impart hygiene, intelligence, sustainability, and more.

A product’s shelf life can be extended significantly by vacuum skin packaging. Photo: Sealpac
A product’s shelf life can be extended significantly by vacuum skin packaging. Photo: Sealpac

Modern packages think for themselves, remind us, extend shelf life, can be heated at the press of a button, and influence our senses with their appearance, odor, and feel. And some of them can even speak. What packages in the food sector are capable of today goes far beyond their original purpose of protecting food.

Packages have to perform numerous tasks simultaneously: meet the needs of marketing and sales, comply with safety and hygiene regulations, and satisfy such consumer requirements as sustainability and easier handling while keeping the cost of production, transport, and storage low. Thanks to the very latest machines with highly automated sensor- and microprocessor-controlled drive technology, coupled with innovative materials that can be produced and disposed of sustainably, the packaging industry has succeeded in converting a 6,000-year-old idea into a modern, high-tech product.

First and foremost: protection due to packaging

Despite packaging’s long history, its primary purpose—protection of its contents during transport and storage—remains unchanged. Packages prevent contamination and damage and protect foods from harmful environmental influences such as light, oxygen, and moisture. It provides protection from spoilage due to microorganisms and prevents the loss of flavor or vitamins.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, up to 1.3 billion tons of foods are lost each year worldwide. In some cases, fresh goods spoil during transport, are not consumed in time, or are deemed not salable because they fall short of the given standards. And often enough, still edible food is discarded by consumers because the sell-by date has expired.

For more than six years now, this overall issue has been addressed by the SAVE FOOD initiative of the FAO, the environmental program of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Messe Düsseldorf in cooperation with globally leading companies, organizations, and research institutes. Their joint goal is to devise solutions to prevent food loss and waste along the value chain. This involves making suitable infrastructure available, re-examining and modifying standards for packaging, raising awareness, and, last but not least, working on the package itself.

For the third time, the initiative with the international SAVE FOOD congress, which marks the start of interpack in Düsseldorf, Germany, from May 4 to May 10, 2017, will be given a suitable platform for bringing together various participants from business, science, the political sector, and civil society in the fight against food waste. During the trade fair, the special SAVE FOOD exhibition will be held for the second time in the innovationparc, which has addressed this issue at each interpack since 2008.

Hygiene’s not everything, but food is nothing without hygiene

When it comes to food packaging, hygiene is a top priority, and sensitive meat and sausage products are subject to extreme hygiene standards. Complete high-performance production lines, including meat grinder, portioner, and tray-sealing units, focus not only on performance, flexibility, and product quality, but also on the interfaces, because they have a huge bearing on productivity.

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Break out of the ordinary: see what’s new in packaging & processing!