The Importance of Packaging for Food

Food packaging has brought great convenience to both sellers and consumers, not only in use, but also in safety. Food is easily exposed to oxygen and bacteria in the air, which affects the taste and quality of food. Therefore, when storing or selling food, a sealed food packaging is very important.

The chemical composition and physical and chemical properties of different foods are different, so different foods have different protective requirements for packaging. In the design of food packaging, we need to choose packaging materials according to the different nature of food itself, so as to protect food and extend its shelf life. For example, cake is rich in oil, soft, and has a certain optimum water content. Therefore, at least it should meet the following requirements: high oil resistance (prevent oil seepage and oil oxidation), high moisture resistance (prevent cake from losing water to become dry and hard).

Traditional packaging materials include glass bottles, metal cans, cartons, cartons and so on. Modern food packaging materials mainly include plastics, paper, composite materials (plastic/plastic, plastic/paper, plastic/aluminum, foil/paper/plastic and other types of multi-layer composite materials). Different packaging materials bring different functions, and their packaging quality will directly affect the sales of food.

In order to prolong the shelf life of food, new packaging technologies such as active packaging, anti-mildew packaging, moisture-proof packaging, anti-fog packaging, anti-static packaging, selective breathable packaging, anti-skid packaging, cushioning packaging and so on are adopted. These new technologies are widely used in developed countries, but not widely used in China. Some methods are still blank. The application of these advanced technologies can obviously improve the protection function of packaging.

Packaging is the container of food, which brings great convenience to the circulation of food. At the same time, beautifully designed packaging is easier to attract consumers, promote sales, expand publicity and enhance market competitiveness.