Flexible packaging options are transforming the choice of packaging solutions that are available for food and beverage industry. This was demonstrated at a recently-concluded workshop on Innovations in Shelf-Stable Food & Beverages, which provided an overview of the advanced concepts in packaging that provided convenience and barrier to air moisture.
In fact, this new area has widened the scope of business opportunity. For instance, the use of retort pouch allows sterile packaging of a wide variety of food and beverages as it can be utilised in aseptic processing and as an alternative to traditional industrial canning methods.
Companies like Dai Nippon Printing (Thailand) Co. Ltd; Sterdill, an expert in manufacturing of various food equipment; and Printpack; among others provided the advantages of packaging alternatives which are providing the ease of use and simple disposable options. The lightweight and alluring designs have products from noodles to snacks packed in cups.
Sterdill’s Stock Retort packs are used by global food processing players including Nestle, Campbell and Heinz to pack dairy, beverages, baby food, ready meals, meat, vegetables, fruits and seafood.
Meanwhile, delving into Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), which comes with a high gas barrier with oxygen absorbers and hermetically sealed containers, Ilias Ali, market development manager,Printpack Packaging Supplies (India) Pvt. Ltd, Bengaluru, stated, “It is ideal to pack ready meals, dry fruits, nuts, low water activity dairy and non-dairy sweets, nutrition powders, instant mix, savoury products.”
MAP is a technology to extend the shelf life of fresh food products. The technology substitutes the atmospheric air inside a package with a controlled mixture of gases. It slows down microbial as well as biochemical activity.
However MAP is dependent on four independent factors: quality of the food and its hygiene, inert gas or gas mixture, and packaging machine and material, according to him.
The key advantages of MAP are its longer durability of perishable food, decrease of spoilage, reduced growth of germs, product retaining its form, texture, vitamin content, taste and fat besides, preserving the natural colour of the product. “Further, the need to use preserving agents is reduced if not eliminated,” stated Ali.
In addition, there is longer shelf life of the products with MAP. It is far more economical enabling extended distribution and access to a variety of delicate fresh products.
“We offer, rigid and flexible barrier packaging materials for MAP applications. In addition to coordinating R&D trials, Printpack also provides necessary support in commercialisation process based on customer requirement,” he concluded.
