Flexible Food Packaging. Questions and Answers

Transcription

1 Flexible Food Packaging Questions and Answers

2 Flexible Food Packaging Questions and Answers Arthur Hirsch, Ph. D., FAIC ~ SPRINGER SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC

3 Copyright 1991 by Springer Science+Business Media New York Originally published byvan Nostrand Reinhold in 1991 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number ISBN AII rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means-graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems-without written permis sion of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hirsch, Arthur, Flexible food packaging : questions and answers / by Arthur Hirsch. p. cm. lncludes index. ISBN ISBN (ebook) DOI / Food-Packaging. 2. Plastics in packaging. 1. Title. TP374.H '.092-dc CIP

4 To JENNIFER May you continue to ask questions and experience the joy of finding answers.

5 Contents Preface / ix Q 1: Who Needs Packaging? / 1 Q 2: Why Controlled or Modified Atmosphere Packaging? / 5 Q 3: Which is Better-Vacuum or Gas Packaging? / 9 Q 4: Why Is an Oxygen Barrier Required? / 14 Q 5: When Is a Moisture Barrier Desired? / 20 Q 6: What Barrier Materials are Available? / 28 Q 7: Is Foil Necessary? / 36 Q 8: Why Use Rigid Plastics? / 43 Q 9: What Types of Package Failure Are Encountered? / 49 Q 10: What Are the Prime Factors Going into the Selection of a Flexible Form-Filled-Seal Package? / 56 Q 11: How is Aseptic Packaging Accomplished? / 65 Q 12: Are the Product and the Package Compatible? / 69 Q 13: Do Government Regulations Control Package Selection? / 78 Q 14: How Does the Bar Code Affect Package Design? / 85 vii

6 viii CONTENTS Q 15: What Is Meant by Nutritional Labeling? / 90 Q 16: Do Flexible Packages Contribute to Environmental Contamination? / 95 Q 17: Which Is the Lowest Cost Package? / 103 Q 18: Does the Package Improve the Product? / 111 Q 19: What Is a Flexible Can? How Can It Be Used? / 116 Q 20: How Are Computers Impacting Packaging? / 123 Q 21: What Problems Does One Encounter with the Packaging of Frozen Foods? / 130 Q 22: Which Would Be the Most Suitable Package for Seafood? / 134 Q 23: How Should Fruits and Vegetables Be Packaged? / 138 Q 24: What Materials Are Best Suited for Snack Food Packaging? / 147 Q 25: Which Is the Best Bacon Package? / 157 Q 26: Which Is the Preferred Frank Package? / 166 Q 27: Which Is the Best Luncheon Meat Package? / 171 Q 28: How Can We Package Fresh Meat? / 177 Q 29: What Is the Preferred Cheese Package? / 184 Q 30: What Choices Are Available for the Packaging of Coffee? / 188 Q 31: How Can Microwavable Foods be Packaged? / 193 Q 32: What Choices Are Available for Tamper-Resistant Closures? / 199 Q 33: What Is the Meaning of Some of the Odd Vocabulary Common in the Packaging Language? / 203 Index / 213

7 Preface Packaging is an essential feature of modern life. The science and art of packaging is so vast that no single book or even a multivolume work could hope to cover the entire scope of topics, from Artwork to Zipper. This volume has selected some of the most commonly raised questions in the field of flexible packaging of food. No claim is made for comprehensive coverage of the field-nor even for an in-depth exploration of a limited number of topics. The novice should find sufficient material here to gain a broad understanding of flexible packaging. The expert's knowledge may be enriched by the case studies and the additional reading lists. The first topic covered is "Who needs packaging?" We conclude that everyone depends on packaging. Western civilization as we know it today would cease without modern packaging. The advantages of controlled atmosphere (CA) or modified atmosphere packaging (MAP are reviewed, especially as they apply to the preservation of meat cheese and produce. The need for a moisture and oxygen barrier is analyzed, and materials that provide these properties are presented. The legal aspects of packaging are confronted-including FDA and USDA oversight, EPA and toxic waste disposal, bar codes, and nutritional labeling. Machinery-especially form-fill-seal (ffs)-is covered in detail, and the influence of the computer on the modern packaging operation is discussed. Among the food products chosen for detailed consideration are: snacks, frozen foods, fish, fruits and vegetables, bacon, franks, luncheon meats, fresh meat, cheese, and coffee. A section is devoted to special needs of microwaveable food items. The last section offers a glossary of terms to help the reader understand some of the unique vocabulary that has crept into the packaging language. The content has been illustrated with the aid of 25 figures and enhanced by 41 tables, designed to clarify and document statistical information. ix

8 Flexible Food Packaging Questions and Answers