Food packaging

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aluminum cans are widely used forms of packaging for food
Folding scheme of a pizza box , so-called "Chicago folding"

Food packaging has the primary task of protecting food . In addition to this task, there are a few other tasks that they should fulfill, for example they should make transport easier for us and provide the customer with important information about the product.

Task and functions of food packaging

The tasks of food packaging can be divided into four basic functions:

Protective function

Food packaging is primarily intended to protect the product from external influences such as light , water vapor , contamination and damage. In addition, food packaging should protect against animal pests, microorganisms and the loss of flavor .

Warehouse function

After production, the products are stored or relocated several times until they are consumed . This would not be possible without suitable food packaging. Furthermore, reliable and suitable food packaging should make storage easier and faster.

Transport function

With suitable food packaging, the products should not be excessively stressed during transport by influences such as pressure, impact, temperature or moisture. The corresponding requirements for food packaging depend on the route and means of transport .

Advertising or sales function

Products can be recognized by the customer through their food packaging, for example through a colored design, a logo or a special shape. These properties can also attract new customers. In addition, some customers only buy the product because of the packaging design. In addition, in most cases the packaging represents the product that the customer cannot always see because it is packaged. For this reason, the packaging design must convince the customer.

Food packaging materials

Food packaging is often made from different materials. Mostly they consist of glass , plastic , metal or cardboard ( cardboard ). The various materials that make up food packaging are also called packaging materials . Different packaging materials are often combined with one another in order to provide better protection.

Food packaging made from different materials

Optimization of food packaging

When optimizing food packaging, there are various aspects that must be taken into account, and most of the time, an approximately optimal food packaging can only be achieved by compromising a few aspects. The aspects that are in focus mostly depend on the purpose of the food packaging. Weak points in the packaging used, new innovations in packaging technology or planned cost savings in production can, for example, be reasons for packaging optimization.

The various aspects can be divided into 3 main areas:

  • Preservation of the quality of packaged goods and packaging
  • Economy of the pack
  • Design of the pack according to appearance, usage, environmental and disposal function.

For a successful packaging optimization, the processes within a company's logistics must first be analyzed. This includes picking , packaging and shipping as well as storage and transport. Furthermore, customer requests are also incorporated into the optimization process.

recycling

Recycling ensures that vital resources are not completely used up. With regard to food packaging, this means that care must be taken during manufacture that reusable materials are used for the packaging. This ensures that the packaging can be reused or recycled. There are different types of reuse for the different types of packaging. The most common distinctions are made between disposable packaging , reusable packaging and compostable packaging . Disposable packaging is also increasingly being made from paper. For example, Frosta wants to replace all plastic packaging with recyclable paper bags by the end of 2020 .

Health aspects

There are large gaps in the industry's self-regulation to ensure that no chemicals ( contaminants ) are released from the packaging into the food. In 2017, the Association of Cantonal Chemists in Switzerland, VKCS, examined food packaging made of paper and cardboard . The samples examined were coffee mugs , pizza boxes , paper bags for flour and grain, bread bags and packaging for food stand products. Eleven of the 78 packagings examined (14%) contained substances in quantities that exceeded the maximum values applicable to food packaging . In the case of paper packaging, a massive excess of the maximum value for chloropropanol and an unusually high mineral oil content were found. In a further 42 samples (62%), the laboratory found high levels of mineral oil residues that can be assumed to be transferred to the food during storage.

Films and plastic packaging also have harmful effects on humans , as they contain so-called plasticizers . There are different types of plasticizers, but not all are harmful. Foils and plastic packaging are not necessarily harmful on their own, but only in combination with fatty foods. The fat in food, such as cheese, dissolves these plasticizers and so the plasticizers can be transferred to the food. They are suspected of rendering sterile and promoting diabetes .

Food packaging are some with zinc oxide - nanoparticles treated. If zinc oxide nanoparticles are transferred to these foods, consumption can lead to changes in the intestines and a reduction in nutrient absorption .

Legal aspects of food packaging

Legal framework

According to European legislation, food packaging is a material that comes into contact with food and therefore falls under Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004 on materials and objects that are intended to come into contact with food (“Framework Regulation ”). General requirements are set out in this ordinance, e. B. that under normal or foreseeable conditions of use no components are released into food in quantities that are likely to endanger human health. This framework regulation also empowers the Commission to adopt specific individual measures for certain materials. The z. B. in Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011 on materials and objects made of plastic that are intended to come into contact with food.

The Consumer Goods Ordinance also applies in Germany .

disposal

Green Dot

According to the German Packaging Ordinance , negative effects on the environment or waste from (food) packaging must be avoided. The (re) recycling has priority over the disposal. This regulation applies to all packaging from all economic areas.

For example, it applies to transport packaging that the manufacturer or the distributor is obliged to take back the transport packaging after use. This packaging must then be recycled. If the manufacturer or the distributor does not take back the packaging, this must be indicated on the packaging. It must also be ensured that appropriate collection containers are provided on the premises belonging to the point of sale. However, there are also certain markings ( pictograms ) on packaging that state that the consumer is responsible for correct disposal. A well-known pictogram is, for example, the green dot . How exactly the packaging must be disposed of depends on the respective pictogram.

Mandatory information

To ensure that all important information about the product is included on the packaging, there are so-called mandatory information. These mandatory details specify which information must be provided. This mandatory information includes nutrition labeling , highlighting of allergenic ingredients, the name of the food, name and address of the food business operator, the net quantity, the amount of certain ingredients (QUID) , the list of ingredients, the best-before date and, if applicable, the country of origin or place of origin, the instructions for use and the freeze date. In addition, a minimum font size is specified for the mandatory information. The Food Information Ordinance (LMIV) plays an important role in this. This specifies which label elements must be included on the packaging of the food.

See also

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Otto E. Ahlhaus: Packaging with plastics , Hanser Fachbuch, Munich 1997, ISBN 978-3-446-17711-6 , p. 15ff.
  2. ↑ Otto E. Ahlhaus: Packaging with plastics , Hanser Fachbuch, Munich 1997, ISBN 978-3-446-17711-6 , pp. 20f.
  3. ↑ a b Packaging optimization, article by Deltapacking. Retrieved January 5, 2016
  4. ^ Otto E. Ahlhaus: Packaging with plastics , Hanser Fachbuch, Munich 1997, ISBN 978-3-446-17711-6 , p. 24.
  5. ↑ We're replacing plastic with paper! In: frosta.de. Retrieved November 10, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Association of Cantonal Chemists in Switzerland: Many deficiencies in food packaging made of paper Media release (PDF), April 25, 2018, accessed on April 26, 2018.
  7. ↑ phthalates. The useful plasticizers with the undesirable properties. Retrieved January 5, 2016
  8. ↑ "45 min - Danger of plasticizers": Why are more and more men only fertile to a limited extent? Retrieved January 5, 2016
  9. ↑ DGE warns of plasticizers in plastic: Phthalates favor type 2 diabetes. Accessed January 5, 2016
  10. ↑ Fabiola Moreno-Olivas, Elad Tako and Gretchen J. Mahler: ZnO nanoparticles affect intestinal function in an in vitro model . In: Food & Function . 2018, doi: 10.1039 / C7FO02038D .
  11. ↑ Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004 on materials and articles that are intended to come into contact with food (PDF), accessed on August 21, 2017
  12. ↑ Ordinance on the avoidance and recycling of packaging waste, Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection. Retrieved January 5, 2016