Packaging of Food Plays an Important Role
In order to protect food from light, odor, moisture and climatic conditions, packaging of food is important. It prevents the food from all these conditions and keeps it fresh extending its shelf life. Also, to provide consumers with proper nutritional information and ingredients included in the product they are buying, packaging of food helps there.
Below are some key points that answer your query that why packaging of food plays an important role?
Convenience
Packaging of food helps in easy handling of the products. It features convenience such as handling, disposal and easy access of products. It also helps in product resealability, visibility and microwavability. As a result, the effort necessary to prepare and serve food has been minimized with the packaging. Boil-in bags, microwavable packaging and oven-safe trays enable consumers to prepare their entire meal in hardly using any efforts. New closure styles and designs provides resealability, dispensing features and ease of opening and closing. Advances and new technologies in packaging of food have influenced the development of modern retail formats which enables the consumers to make themselves stick at one-stop shopping and the availability of food from round the world.
Marketing and Information
A package is the face of a product and infrequently is the solely product exposure customers experience before purchasing. Consequently, distinctive or innovative packaging will boost sales in an exceedingly competitive atmosphere. The package could also be designed to reinforce the goods image and/or to differentiate the goods from the competition. As an example, larger labels could also be used to accommodate recipes. Packaging additionally provides data to the buyer. As an example, package labeling satisfies legal necessities for product identification, organic process worth, ingredient declaration, net weight, and manufacturer data. In addition, the package conveys vital data regarding the goods like change of state directions, complete identification, and rating. All of those enhancements could impact waste disposal.
Traceability
The definition of traceability is “the ability to follow the movement of a food through specified stage(s) of production, process and distribution”. Traceability has three objectives: to enhance provide management, to facilitate trace‐back for food safety and quality functions, and to differentiate and market foods with refined or undetectable quality attributes. Food producing corporations incorporate distinctive codes onto the package labels of their goods; this permits them to trace their products throughout the distribution method. Codes are out there in numerous formats (for example, written barcodes or electronic radio frequency identification [RFID]) and may be scan manually and/or by machine.
Tamper Indication
Willful tampering with food and pharmaceutical goods has resulted in special packaging options designed to scale back or eliminate the danger of tampering and adulteration. Though any package may be breeched, tamper‐evident options cannot simply get replaced. Tamper‐evident options embody stripe, special membranes, breakaway closures, and special printing on bottle liners or composite cans like graphics or text that irreversibly amendment upon gap. Special printing additionally includes holograms that can’t be simply duplicated. Tamper‐evident packaging typically needs extra packaging materials, which exacerbates disposal problems, however the advantages usually outweigh any downside. An example of a tamper‐evident feature that needs no extra packaging materials could be a heat seal used on medical packaging that’s with chemicals developed to vary color once opened.
Containment and food waste reduction
Any assessment of packaging of food impact on the atmosphere should take into the consideration of the positive benefits of reduced food waste in the entire supply chain. Continuous wastage of food has been reported in many countries, ranging from food grains to vegetables and fruits. Also, inappropriate preservation, transportation and storage have been seen as causes of the wastage of food. In line with extending the shelf life of the foods, packaging of food reduces the total waste too, thereby prolonging their usability. Survey have found that the total waste generated in many cities contained more food waste, less packaging and comparable one-third more total waste than the packaged foods. Therefore, packaging of food can contribute in the reduction of total food waste as compared to the unpackaged food.
Protection
Packaging of food can retain the beneficial effects of processing, retard product deterioration, maintain or increase the safety and quality of food and extend shelf-life. Protection shields food from climatic and mechanical damage and provides cushioning against the vibration and shock held during distribution. Developed from corrugated cardboards and materials and paperboards, barriers resist abrasions, crushing damage and impacts, so they are used widely as shipping containers and also as packaging for delicate foods such as fresh fruits and eggs. If packaging of food is done appropriately and nicely, it also protects consumers from several hazards. In addition, the alternatives to plastic packaging for products ranging from soda bottles to shampoo has reduced the danger of breaking of glass containers.
