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The
main purpose of packaging are to hold its contents securely to
prevent leakage and breakage, to protect the foods from different
hazards like germs, heat, moisture loss or moisture pick up, etc., to
protect the contents while distribution, etc. For all types of
packaging, there are different types of packages. The different types
of packages can be classified into two groups:
Retail Containers:
These containers protect food or the content from different damages
and at the same time they advertise the product for retail sale. For
example, glass bottles, sachets, over wraps, plastic bottles, metal
cans, etc. They can be used for home storage also.
Shipping
Containers:
These containers contain and protect food and other items during
distribution and transport or any other marketing function. For
example, sacks, stretch or shrink wrapped containers, corrugated
fire board cartons, drums, barrels, crates and foil
bags.
Industrial
packaging materials are different from the traditional packaging
materials. Different types of industrial packaging materials include:
Metal Containers:
Two
types of metal cans are used like, double seam, which are used for
making canned foods and metal containers with push on lids which are
used to store dry foods like coffee powder, milk powder, dry yeast,
etc. Double seamed cans are made up of aluminum or tin plated steel
that are lined with specific lacquers suiting different types of
foods. Cans are widely used as they have many advantages. They can
give total protection to the food. They are tamper proof, and can be
made in different shapes and sizes. At the same time, they have
certain disadvantages like they are heavier than plastics and thus
have high transport costs. Large metal drums are used as shipping
containers for oil, juices and many other liquid foods. Metal
containers made of aluminum are very helpful as they are impermeable
to moisture, micro organisms, lights, odors, etc.
Glass Containers:
Glass
jars and bottles are very popular for packaging foods. They protect
food from moisture, pests, and micro organism. These are very useful
as they can be processed under heat, reusable, recyclable, rigid,
can be stored and are transparent to display its contents or the
food inside. Along with different advantages it has certain
disadvantages too. They are heavier and for this require higher
transport costs. They can be easily broken, especially, when
transporting through rough roads. These are mainly used for packing
foods like different preservatives such as jams, jellies, juices,
pickles, beer, wine, etc.
Paper and Cardboard
Containers: Paper
and cardboard containers are mainly made from wood pulps and some
other additional elements to make a proper container. Different
types of papers are used to wrap foods. For example, sulphate papers
are used as paper sacks for fruits, vegetables, flour, sugar, etc.
Small paper board tubs or sacks can be used for confectionery, snack
foods, and nuts. White boards are suitable for ice cream,
chocolates, and frozen cartons because they are coated with wax or
plastic to make the container heat sealable. Chip boards are used as
outer cartons, especially, for tea or cereals but not contacting the
food.
Plastic Films:
Flexible
plastic films are relatively lighter. They protect food and other
materials from heat, gas and moisture. They add little weight to the
food and fit according to the shape of the material transported.
They don't take much space and have dry and wet strengths making
them convenient for the consumer, manufacturer and the retailer.
Foods like milk are packed in such flexible plastic films.
Polythene: Much
less
expensive than other packaging materials, they are act as a good
moisture barrier but not a good odor barrier. High density polythene
are thicker, stronger and are better barriers for moisture and gas.
There
are many other types of packages like polypropylene, coated films,
laminated films, coextruded films, rigid and semi rigid plastic
containers and many more. Each of these containers have individual
advantages and own quality. Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com |
