It's A Wrap

Presentation of the product in modern times is not just a nice wrapper. It needs to meet a whole string of technological, health and scientific requirements and this is something being addressed by both processors and the manufacturers of equipment they need and use.

It's no longer just a matter of ‘putting it in the bag'. The consumer's needs are taken into account from all angles - health and clean labelling to ease of use as well as conservation, sustainability and environmental issues.

And packaging is going ‘intelligent' and ‘active' as well, if recent studies by the Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA) are any indication.

‘Active' packaging involves an interaction between pack and food product to extend the shelf life of the product, while an ‘intelligent' pack monitors the quality and/or safety of a food product, providing an indication that can be helpful in the distribution chain, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and sensors.

Lynneric Potter, one of the authors of the new guide explained that it was written as part of a three-year, member-funded project entitled ‘The Study of the Safety and Quality aspects of the Technology used in Active and Intelligent Packaging'.

"As part of the research project we are also carrying out demonstrative trials with different active and intelligent devices," said Potter.

And, while many in the food industry have heard of the different active and intelligent devices available, they may not necessarily know how they work or the types of products they can be used with, she added.

Potter said food companies often did not have the time or resources available to carry out the required research into new packaging developments.

"This document gives them a starting point explaining the different options available, the advantages and disadvantages of different methods, the factors that need to be taken into consideration as well as potential suppliers and information on products currently in the marketplace.

"The document is not just limited to UK readers but refers to active and intelligent devices being used worldwide and a large number of the distributors of these devises are outside the UK - we have a list of these at the end of the document," she said.

She said the guide cautions food companies and packaging suppliers on the potential safety hazards involved in this type of packaging such as factors to consider when using moisture absorbers:

"It is important to select the correct absorbency so as to prevent saturation and it is also necessary to take into account the environmental factors the product will be exposed to during its shelf life such as temperature and humidity," claims Potter.

The review evaluates the benefits of ethanol emitters in packaging and says that their advantage lies in the fact that ethanol no longer needs to be sprayed directly on to the product but can be slowly released from the sachet. It cautions, however, that too much ethanol can have a negative impact on flavour.

Potter said there are a lot of considerations for processors when using antimicrobials such as how manufacture, distribution and storage can alter the effectiveness of the antimicrobial.

"There are also concerns that the use of antimicrobials might lead to the development of new strains of bacteria which over time become resistant to biocides."

And Pack Expo International 2008 in the US this month featured a Sustainable Packaging Scorecard Information Centre, staffed by a team of scorecard consultants and trainers who offered free one-on-one consultations during the show.

The educational centre was aimed at giving packagers and their packaging supply chain partners practical insight into implementing sustainability practices - a central component of this year's show and Conference at PACK EXPO theme, ‘Change, Innovation and Sustainability'.

Then there is the information on the packaging label that is all important. Here the UK has launched a ‘definitive guide' to the nutritional content of raw and cooked potatoes - and the health claims that can be used on potato packaging.

Produced by the Potato Council specifically for growers, processors and packers, the ‘Potatoes: The Facts' booklet is a unique tool that will help the industry demonstrate the core nutritional values of potatoes - particularly when compared to other carbohydrates - and increase awareness amongst consumers.

The guide provides full explanations of the nutritional benefits of potatoes in addition to comprehensive nutritional tables for potatoes in all their forms. In-depth nutritional comparisons are also drawn between baked potatoes and chips versus rice and pasta, as well as crisps compared with other snacks.

Heike Kroemer, Potato Council marketing executive, said: "Health is one of the key drivers for meal choices for consumers today and despite being packed full of more nutrients, potatoes are still losing out to pasta and rice. By reinforcing their natural healthiness through clear and concise on-pack messaging we can help change some of the common misconceptions shoppers have about potatoes."

Potatoes are a great choice as part of a healthy balanced diet - they are naturally fat free, a good source of vitamins B1, B6 and vitamin C and a source of folic acid.

All three of these nutritional health claims can legitimately be used on potato packaging, along with four other claims which have been approved by the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF).

The Potato Council developed the guide in conjunction with the BNF, following the introduction of new regulations by the European Commission (EC) on 1 July 2007 to harmonise the way in which on-pack health claims are made across the European Union (EU). The new regulations will be available by January 2010.

Heike added: "This guide will help growers, processors and packers ensure that they are making the most of the approved health and nutritional claims about potatoes on packaging. It will also act as a useful reference tool for industry until the EC's list of permitted nutrition and health claims becomes available in two years time."

But before we get to this stage, the quality of the product and the way it is packed is also paramount.

Inspection of the product has to be faultless with all defect and foreign materials removed before the packaging stage.

The ‘thinking' metal detector recently launched at Pack Expo Chicago helps achieve the processor ensure the highest level of inspection sensitivity.

The new CEIA MS-series metal detector achieves the industry's highest sensitivity to accurately detect magnetic and non-magnetic metals, including stainless steel.

Its ‘autolearn' system scans product to reduce set up time, eliminate operator guessing and prevent inspection errors which can prove costly.

CEIA Spa, in Italy, is the world's largest manufacturer of metal detectors and has linked with Heat and Control in the United States.

Also at Heat and Control's stand was the new Ishida DK X-ray system which features multiple inspection functions to accurately detect all metals, glass, bone, rock, shell or plastics in the product during processing.

Genetic algorithm image processing produces the optimal sensitivity setting without expensive software.

Entry-level inspection of packaged products is provided by Ishida's new EA-series with its package masking functions and sensitivity being adjustable using the full-colour touch screen.

In the packaging field, Ulma Packaging has launched a new model offering simplicity, reliability and ease of operation.

The Olympus entry-level vertical form fill seal (VFFS) flow-wrapper offers significant cost benefits.

Capable of wrapping anything from salads to frozen or chilled products through a variety of bag options, the Olympus is perfect for medium volume food applications and can operate at speed s up to 70 bags per minute.

And, to answer the energy and sustainability question, it offers a compact footprint and mechanical reliability to cut downtime.

All Olympus VFFS flow-wrappers are backed by Ulma's pan-European 24/7 service and support teams.

Once the product is packed on line, it has to be packed again for transportation, and Ishida Europe has launched a new system for fast efficient packing of trays into crates and Eurocrates.

Operating at speeds of up to 150 trays a minute, the Ishida IPS can cover a wide range of applications and is unique in that it works by moving individual trays rather than collations.

This simplifies the infeeding of trays and enhances pick-and-place accuracy. Its robots have small inertia, enabling them to accelerate or decelerate rapidly.

The IPS optically tracks each tray and trays are picked and crates filled while in motion.