Scientific and technical foundations for food packaging

Any issue that touches the lives of citizens must be carefully considered, and this is an obvious and known matter. Food is the first essential human need, there must be a certain and reliable guarantee to deliver it to consumers in the best way, in the best quality, at the highest nutritional value, and preserved for the longest possible period of time in the common conditions of circulation in any society while preserving all its components, taste and distinctive smell, and with the best appropriate technical and economic conditions.

Each substance has its own physical and chemical properties and special storage conditions that are compatible with the material itself. Below are the most important considerations that must be taken into account when packing some of the most important foodstuffs.

First) fresh and liquid food

For many foods, the most important measures are to provide adequate cold storage facilities and for food liquids, taking care not to leak or leach these materials is very important when preserving.

A) Fruits and vegetables

The choice of the packaging method depends on the degree of respiratory activity of the product, which, for example, is high in the case of leafy vegetables (which tend to be dry and dendritic) and grapes. It is relatively mediocre in tubers and roots (which does not differ from the rest in moisture loss). Packaging plays a protective role for perishable packaged fruits and

vegetables as it is important to keep them at a low temperature. We must bear in mind that some types of fruits may be damaged at specific temperatures that are above the freezing point. Therefore, the interval between crop collection and refrigerated storage should be as short as possible, and this depends on the methods of harvesting, transport and storage followed, and the emission rates of water vapor required to depend on the type of product, usually perforated polyethylene or open-ended shrink packages are used to allow oxygen to enter. And carbon dioxide. Also, the packaging must be transparent to allow checking the contents for mold, for example, when storing potatoes. It is preferable to use wet-proof containers for washed vegetables and delicate fruits.

B) Meat

Fresh meat

For short storage periods, the emission of water vapor is insignificant, and the packing materials must allow high oxygen penetration, anti-drip, anti-light (adipose tissue), resistant to moisture, and should not adhere to the meat and be stored at a temperature close to 0 ° C. It is recommended to use cellulose-treated films, PET films, or lightweight polyethylene films.

Fresh poultry meat

The package must be somewhat resistant to water vapor and have good moisture resistance, and it must also be kept at a temperature close to 0 ° C, which is the first and important requirement to ensure a longer storage life by vacuum packing with a temperature of 0 ° C.

C) Fish

Fresh fish

The package must be resistant to water vapor, gas, and odor, and it is preferable to be shrinkable (when storing in ice, the package is not necessary to be resistant to water vapor) and with high resistance to moisture and drip and the packing materials should not stick to the fish and must be stored at a temperature Between zero and one percent.

Food contact materials:

Food Contact Materials (FCMs) are materials that are intended to be in contact with food. These can be crystal clear things like a glass or a soft drink can, but also machines in a food factory or coffee machine.

Food contact materials can be manufactured from a variety of materials such as plastic, rubber, paper, paint, metal, ink, etc. In many cases, a mixture is used; For example, a juice carton box (inside to outside) could include: plastic film, aluminum, paper, printing, and surface coating.