Wednesday, 22 May 2013

Food Packaging- Health And Environmental Concerns


For regulating the supply of food across the board, packaging plays a very phenomenal role. The main purpose of food packaging is to secure the freshness of the food items and meddle with the environmental factors that may prove detrimental to the food stuff. The benefits of an effective packaging for food include augmenting the positive impact of processing and making a food article available on the shelves for a longer period of time. The external influences that can change the quality of tinned and packaged food include gases; the primary one is oxygen which can spoil the quality of a product. The increased and decreased level of moisture also affects the packaged food. Visible, ultraviolet and infrared light stale the packaged milk and other beverages.

Bacteria, pathogens, insects and rodents can tamper with the food leaving it decayed and uneatable.  Shock and vibration that a food item can encounter during the delivery makes it inconsumable. All these aspects should be reviewed while crafting an efficient food packaging. The chemical, biological and physical factors mentioned above can be tackled with a packaging that is handy enough to hinder harmful microbes and environmental changes. The glass and metal packaging halts the exposure to gases and effectually maintain the crunchiness of different food items. The plastic caps that are used for the bottle packaging provide a barrier against oxygen and other gases. But plastic packaging can be rated less effective as compared to the glass and metal ones.


The biological features in an apt food packaging shield the food item from decomposition that can result in diseases. Managing the inner quality of the food that includes primarily fiddling with the food by the microbes is the function of biological food packaging. Corrugated materials are laudable for their shock absorbing ability. This is the reason they are utilized for transportation of the largest stocks of food products. The plastic packaging that is used for products, recommended out of reach of children has special locks that cannot be opened by the kids. Food packaging in many ways is serving the consumers in numerous commendable ways. Despite that it is also blamed for polluting the bio network.

Municipal wastes generally include the fragments of food packaging materials which are creating serious ecological issues. Defining the appropriate disposal procedures for the packaging scraps and 
implementing an ample legislation can save the ecosystem. The environment-friendly food packaging has also been introduced by several businesses. Buying such food products that have biodegradable packaging can prove productive in minimizing land wastes.  As food is the top most consumed necessity; the packaging for food contributes to the two third of the overall packaging trash. Joined efforts from the packaging companies and Governmental sector are required to address this burning issue. The packaging techniques are being modified with the growing evolution in the printing industry; however an approach that creates moderation between the utility of packaging and its hazards can prove prolific for the consumers and the environment.