Food Packaging
Packaging Materials Used In The Food Industry
There are so many food products available around the world, and the list continues to grow with every passing day. Each new recipe means a new product. Walking along the aisles of your local supermarket will help you realize the immense amount of attention food companies pay to get their products in front of you.
All these food products need packaging. The only products coming without packaging are loose fruits and vegetables. It means that if you are a food company, you have to pay attention to product packaging.
In this article, we will discuss the most common packaging materials used in the food industry. We will also discuss how to incorporate these supplies into your business.
Cardboard packaging
Cardboard is the most commonly used packaging material, not only in the food industry but also across all other industries in the world. The reason this material has gained so much prevalence is its versatility, affordability, and desirability.
Aside from low costs, cardboard packaging also offers environmental benefits. This material is more easily recyclable, and it tends to biodegrade when you dispose of it.
The versatile nature of this material makes it one of the most appropriate packaging applications in the food industry. It can be used to create boxes, trays, and crates of all shapes and sizes, allowing for the packaging of a wide variety of food products. It also keeps hot foods fresh for longer durations.
Aluminum packaging
Aluminum is one of the most suitable packaging options for fresh foods. That is because this material tends to create a cool and dry environment around the food product, keeping it usable for an extended duration. Unlike cardboard, aluminum is not absorptive, which means it an ideal packaging option for moist and oily products. Moreover, it is more durable than many other food packaging materials available.
Plastic packaging
While the debate about plastics being harmful to the environment continues, there is no denying their ability to protect food products during transit and storage. Certain types of plastics extend the shelf life of perishable products. Moreover, many food packaging technologies work with plastics, making total plastic elimination an impossible feat at the moment. However, we have an eco-friendly alternative to plastics: bioplastics. As the name suggests, these plastics are made using natural resources. Moreover, these plastics are also biodegradable.
You may find it interesting that traditional plastic is one of the most recyclable packaging materials available. It’s just the lack of recycling infrastructure that makes most plastics ending up in landfills. Creating high-quality packaging materials using plastics can reduce their disposal rate significantly. Moreover, companies can produce interactive packaging solutions to make it hard for consumers to discard a large amount of plastic. However, it ultimately comes down to establishing more plastic processing and recycling facilities to repurpose used plastics.
You can choose from a wide range of food packaging options. If you have any confusion, you can contact your packaging supplier to discuss your requirements and go for the food packaging best practices.