Fast changing social trends and increasing demand for conven- ience and safety
are the driv- ing forces of global food packaging. Packaging companies have ...
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Packaging
Packaging innovations can The packaging of food is both a fine art and a science. Besides maintaining a product’s integrity, the package must be functional as well as attractive. New developments are making this combination possible. ast changing social trends and increasing demand for convenience and safety are the driving forces of global food packaging. Packaging companies have been at the forefront of innovation, anticipating market trends and developing, in partnership with the food supply chain, a permanent flow of packaging concepts for the modern consumer. Whether they target retail or foodservice, successful food companies must ensure that quality, choice, freshness, taste and convenience are all delivered to the consumer, whilst targeting constant improvements in cost effectiveness. Innovations in food packaging aim for these objectives.
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The Chick-In concept combines a bespoke tray and a shrink film to hold the bird in place, optimising appearance and shelf life. Photos: Cryovac.
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Microwaveable solutions offer greater consumer convenience, such as a heat-and-serve vacuum skin packaging.
“The major tracks for packaging innovation are environmental awareness, profitability, convenience and differentiation,” explains Fabrice Roy, executive director marketing Europe, Sealed Air Cryovac. Environmental awareness is led by sustainability, reduction at source with permanent yield improvement, and reduction of environmental impact through permanent down gauging. Strong drivers for profitability are packing line automation and headspace reduction enabling substantial savings along the supply chain. Convenience is delivered through openability, reclosability, and dual ovenability, an area where different companies have achieved a leading edge with new systems such as lowdensity ovenable foam structures. Differentiation results from creativi-
ty, with, for example, a wide range of pack designs using state of the art 2D and 3D software. “Other developments like Time Temperature Indicators (TTI), interactive packaging and MVTR (vapor transmission rate) control are designed to further add value to the packaging chain.”
Impact of consumer demand Western European consumer attitudes have changed radically in the past 10 years. Food products are now perceived as ‘meal solutions’ rather than simply food items. Consumers buy products they perceive as best adapted to their intended meal function. There is thus increasing substitution of products for the same meal occasion (for example, cakes, yoghurt and fruit for an afternoon snack). Also, consumers’ expectations of a
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Packaging
improve your bottom line food product vary greatly depending on its exact function (stomach filling, pleasure, entertaining or relaxation). “Packaging is the key indicator for shoppers of what meal situations and functions the product it contains is best adapted to. What is written on the pack is important, but the packaging material and the pack’s shape and size also ‘talk’ to the consumer about when and why they should use the product it contains,” says Andrew Cookson, CEO Gira, France. One of the most important features of a food packaging material is gas permeability control, to ensure maximum shelf life. Specific structures are designed and produced, based on the capability of the food to react with the gases inside the pack, and on the damage that an incorrect atmosphere inside the pack may create. Paolo Ciocca, director packaging technical centre Europe, Sealed Air Cryovac, explains that the large variety of food products has different needs, from an absolute barrier to oxygen, typical of canned food requiring months of shelf life, to extremely high permeability, for some fresh produce packaging. It is important to understand how the different available materials cope with all these requirements, as well as appreciate the technology used to impart the correct film properties.
Reduced headspace “Volume reduction is a critical success factor in the development of new food packaging solutions. In particular, headspace reduction results in tremendous merchandising and logistical advantages, with-
out compromising shelf life,” explains Anne Le Goff, business development manager Europe, Sealed Air Cryovac. The Mirabella concept, based on the patented combination of a double shrink lid and a barrier tray, is probably the most remarkable illustration. It allows meat to be in contact with the top double lid without discoloration, thanks to permanent oxygen circulation between the two films, the lower one being oxygen permeable and the upper one an oxygen barrier. Mirabella enables great differentiation and substantial savings due to tray height reduction. The Chick-In concept is the breakthrough path to whole bird packaging, combining a bespoke tray and a specific shrink film that holds the bird in place whilst optimising the pack appearance and shelf life throughout the distribution network. All these solutions result from heavy R&D activity on the ‘food in contact with the top film’ principle. This was made possible through the use of the most recent technology in packaging materials, gas mixtures and packaging equipment.
Active and intelligent packaging In the past few years, the development and use of active and intelligent packaging concepts have increased dramatically, starting with oxygen and moisture scavengers and Time Temperature Indicators. Intelligent packaging concepts, communicating the quality of the packed food, are seen by many as a very promising way to improve the quality and safety of food for the end consumer. These concepts can
either register a temperature profile (TTI) or other logistical information (RFID), or provide information on the food inside the pack. “Large-scale introduction is dependent on close cooperation between the food industry, packaging suppliers and retail,” says Marcel van Zandvoort, TNO Quality of Life in the Netherlands. But several obstacles currently remain: reticence from consumers, lack of full reliability, price, impact on human health and safety, and legal constraints.
Convenient cooking “Ready meal solutions and convenience food are key words in today’s fast changing, high-paced lifestyles. To ensure that choice, freshness, taste, quality and safety are delivered to consumers, food processors need quality packaging.” There are several microwaveable solutions for greater consumer convenience, such as an easy-opening vacuum skin pack with self-venting for steam cooking; or heat-and-serve vacuum skin packages with products cooked, shipped and sold in the same pack; and a MAP concept for microwaving a variety of healthy meal combinations. A dual ovenable solution combining an innovative foam tray suitable for both microwave and traditional ovens also increases the choices available to food processors. Finally, cook-inthe-pack solutions bring subtantial benefits to processors and retailers. These new solutions bring enhanced shelf life, improved hygiene, reduced in-store labour, cleaner operations – in other words, quality and safety. PPM
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