The Role Of Packaging In Ensuring Food Shelf Life
Creators: name: Sage, Jenna
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: custom food packaging

description: There are multiple substances present in the environment that can damage the food’s quality. Therefore, it needs a protective layer that can save it throughout its shelf life from moisture, oxygen, light, and microbial contamination. Let's explore the different ways to extend the shelf life of food with custom food packaging boxes. Plus how they promote food safety and are helpful in reducing waste. <strong>Packaging As A Physical Protection </strong> Packaging material acts as a physical barrier between the food and external environment elements. It keeps the food away from moisture and oxygen to minus the growth of microorganisms that cause food deterioration. Furthermore, the packaging material that is used is robust and provides the ultimate protection against physical damage during transportation and handling. <strong>Barrier Properties: </strong>Packaging material possesses specific barrier properties such as oxygen barrier films and moisture barrier properties. <strong>Oxygen barrier:</strong> Films minimize oxygen permeation. It reduced the interaction of products with oxygen to extend the shelf life of products like meat or snacks. <strong>Moisture barrier: </strong>Properties that keep the product safe from moisture to maintain the crispiness of snacks. <strong>Intelligent Packaging </strong> Packaging companies introduced packaging with indicators or sensors that can communicate or monitor the condition of inside food of the package. Indicators are helpful in measuring temperature, gas level, or pH, which are essential to maintain freshness and food quality. They are also helpful in assisting the customer in making a worthy decision that can prevent the food from spoilage <strong>Product Information And Labels </strong> Whenever a product is dispatched from a factory, it should have all the information that tells the customer about the shelf life of a product. plus a storage guide on how to handle the food to help consume store products properly. Another benefit of information is that it defines to the customer the potential nutritional a product is having. it helps the customer to maintain specific dietary needs or restrictions. <strong>Tamper-Evident packaging </strong> It ensures the safety and integrity of food by giving visual evidence. See seal labels or shrink bands are the main indicators to ensure the food’s safety. Safeguarding against potential hazards and ensuring consumer confidence in the product's quality and safety. <strong>Conclusion </strong> Packaging plays a vital role in extending the shelf life of food products by employing different techniques. It protects food in different manners sometimes, it acts like a physical protecting tool, sometimes as a barrier and against external factors. If we explore advanced techniques, then we will analyze that advanced techniques such as intelligent packaging and MAP packaging techniques save the food from spoilage and contamination. Furthermore, advanced technology with sustainable packaging solutions is necessary to minimize the impact of waste on the earth while preserving the food’s quality.