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Packaging: materials
Plastics
Plastics are widely used in food packaging because they are:
- versatile - in particular, they can be either flexible or rigid
- resistant to acids and other chemicals
- easy to print on
- lightweight, and
- cheap to produce
(NB: not all plastics have all the above qualities.)
Types of plastics used in food packaging.
| Name | Uses and properties |
|---|---|
| Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) | Bottles for juice and mineral water |
| High-Density Polythene (HDPE) | Bottles for milk |
| Polystyrene (PS) | Bin-liner bags and containers for frozen foods PS can stand extreme cold |
| Low-Density Polythene (LDPE) | Egg cartons and yoghurt pots LDPE can withstand heat and provide insulation |
| Polypropylene (PP) | Biscuit and crisp wrappers; squeezable bottles for sauces PP is used for chilled products, but not frozen ones |
| Polypropylene Terephthalate (PET) | Oven-ready packaging and fizzy-drink bottles |
A special packaging technique is Modified-Atmosphere Packaging (MAP). Here food products are contained in a plastic container, in which the air has been modified to prolong the shelf-life of food and to stall colour deterioration and other problems, until the package is opened. The product can be seen through clear packaging. MAP is used to package:
- cold meats
- smoked fish
- vegetables
- cheeses
- salads
- fresh pasta
- part-baked breads, and
- poppadoms
Non-plastic packaging materials
Non-plastic packaging materials include paper, card, metal and glass.
Advantages, disadvantages and uses of different types of materials.
| Material | Advantages | Disadvantages | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glass | Reusable, visual, heat-resistant, recyclable, keeps shape, low cost | Fragile, safety issues, heavy | Baby foods, salad cream, pickles |
| Metal | Ring pulls (for easy opening), recyclable, lightweight, impermeable, withstands heat processing | May react with food | Soup cans, take-away dishes, bottle tops |
| Card/paper | Easy to print on, cheap to produce, biodegradable, recyclable, can be moulded to a variety of shapes, can be coated, lightweight | Not water-resistant, may not protect product from damage | Fruit-juice cartons, egg boxes |
| Heat-proof paperboard | Hygienic, withstands low and high heat (- 40 °C to + 230 °C) | N/A | Microwave meals |
Links
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