Packaging plays a critical role in the marketing of processed foods. The main functions of the food packaging system are - (a) to protect the quality and freshness of the product in addition to convenience and safety, and (b) to enhance its merchandising value when displayed on the shelf of a retail store.
Therefore, packaging is a system that provides all these in order to improve the life of the product and enhance its brand appeal. It is important to design the right packaging system for a particular product, and marketers take keen interest in doing so because attractive packaging can generate a great deal of curiosity in the consumers' minds, motivating them to try out the product.
Packaging has aptly been described as a silent salesman. A few decades ago, there were just a couple of options, namely glass and metal containers, and for food packaging, neither was versatile. Glass was brittle and would often break in transit, apart from being costly, and the metal used to make tin containers often leaked into the product.
These limitations were the cause of such problems as faulty sealing of the container and resulted in numerous complaints. The product was visible in a glass bottle but not in a metal can. Sometimes, a product in a glass container would be discoloured or oxidised due to its exposure to sunlight.
To extend the shelf life of the product and to maintain its quality, the industry resorted to the technique of nitrogen flushing in case of containers made of metal. The industry endured these problems and continued to use these two as primary food packaging material for several years, until other options emerged.
PET
After glass bottles and tin cans, there were a variety of plastic containers. These included polyester (PET); polycarbonate; polypropylene; polyethylene [which was available in two variants, namely high-density (HDPE) and low-density (LDPE)] and bi-axially oriented polypropylene (BOPP). These have superior barrier properties.
A few years ago, PVC (poly-vinyl chloride) was used in food packaging, particularly for packaging bottled mineral water. It was later banned, and the industry switched to PET. Extruded aluminium cans are now used by beverage manufacturers, especially the makers of carbonated beverages, to package their products.
Tetra-pack, propack and combipack have also been used for the aforementioned purpose. Initially tetra-pack was imported, but the production of the same eventually commenced in India. It required very high capital investment, which is perhaps the main reason why the industry took a while to convert to this new system.
Those who could not afford Tetra Pak opted for standipack, which is a kind of stand-up pouch. The advent of flexible packaging was another revolutionary step. Several combinations of laminates were used for the packaging of food products. Of late, an aseptic packaging system has been developed.
The aseptic packaging system included the bag-in-box system for bulk sterile packaging. The bag in box aseptic system was a replacement for the large metal cans for packing fruit pulp for export. Mango pulp, for instance, was earlier packaged in A10 size metal cans, which could hold about 3.1 kg of the pulp. One shipping carton could hold six such cans.
Now the aseptic bag in box system is used for the bulk packaging of fruit pulp, both for export as well as for sale in the domestic market. In the past, potassium meta-bisulphate was used for the preservation of fruit pulp be preserved and it was stored in wooden barrels, which were eventually replaced by HDPE drums. Today it is stored in an aseptic bag-in-box, and no preservative is used.
RETORTABLE POUCHES
Retortable pouches have recently been introduced. The system comprises five-layered laminates, and the inner walls of these pouches are made of sealable polythene. Over the years, this system has undergone a number of changes. Toothpaste manufacturers, who used to use aluminium tubes in the past, now use laminate-based tubes (popularly called lami-tubes).
Certain kinds of foods, such as pastes and mayonnaise, were earlier sold in aluminium tubes, and are now sold in lami-tubes. The food packaging system has witnessed a number of improvements of late, and these changes ensure a great deal of convenience, attractiveness, an improvement in the delivery mechanism, and of course, a reduction in the packaging cost.
Today, a number of products - including milk and buttermilk - are sold in carton packs, and trays containing complete ready-to-serve meals have been introduced in the market. The launch of foods such as popcorn, which require heating in a microwave oven, has made it mandatory for a new kind of packaging system for which sealing integrity has to remain intact.
In the absence of sealing integrity, the package will burst open when it is being heated, and the corn won't puff up as desired. Nowadays, most of the sealing is done by the induction sealing technique, which has replaced the heat sealing method. Manufacturers of packaging material can ill-afford to ignore the fact that now the product has to be environmentally-friendly too.
Hence it is not uncommon to find packaging material, which is not only biodegradable but also recyclable. Packaging systems have been designed keeping in mind the storage aspects. That explains the growing popularity of zipper packs. These can be closed again after opening the pack. Composite containers have foil linings to keep the food fresh. Owing to this key advantage, these have replaced the conventional metal containers in the market.
AMPET
Amorphous polyethylene terphathalate (AMPET) is a relatively recent addition to the list of packaging material. Not only does it have better barrier properties, but it can also withstand the sterilisation temperature. Earlier jute was the most common packaging material for commodities, but now increasingly being replaced by plastic.
AGRONIT BAGS
Agronit bags have emerged as the packaging material of choice as far as fruit and vegetables are concerned, replacing jute bags. In fact, onions and potatoes are now sold in agronit bags. Edible packaging material such as ice-cream cones is also used.
EMERGING TRENDS
Edible packaging material containing cellulose and polymerised starch are also available. These are best suited to the packaging of confectionery or foods in the form of pastes, because the whole food, including the packaging material, is edible.
Several years ago, those involved in the marketing of processed foods had fewer options than they have now. Not only is a plethora of products available in the market now, but it is comparable to similar kinds of products available anywhere too.
Moreover, technological advancements have made it possible to package it using sophisticated packaging machinery. The Indian packaging industry can compete with the best in the world, by setting up fully-automated food processing plants with primary and secondary packaging units.
