engleski

The Benefits of Processing and Packaging

Changes in the way food products are produced, distributed, stored and retailed, reflecting the continuing increase in consumer demand for improved safety, quality and extended shelf-life for packaged foods, are placing greater demands on the performance of food packaging. Furthermore, food packaging has gained a widespread importance in food safety due to the possibility of migration of chemicals from food contact plastic materials. Nowadays varieties of packaging materials with different properties for different product packaging are available. The principal function of food packaging is to minimize reactions that affect the stability of the contained products. In most cases, the environmentally present gaseous reactants (water vapour, oxygen) can seriously restrict stability under the usual food storage and distribution conditions. Thus, the rate of transport of such reactants across the partial barrier of the package wall can become the limiting factor in shelf life. Modified atmosphere packaging concept is rapidly growing in the food packaging market. It improves the product quality, freshness and increases the shelf-life of the product as well as provides convenience to the consumer and adds value to the product. It is mainly used to extend the shelf life of fresh and perishable products. Due to technological progress, „active“ and „intelligent“ packaging has been introduced on the market. These types of packaging, incorporated into the European legislation since December 2004, either prolong the life of foodstuffs or monitor and transmit information on its quality. It is very probable that in the future the management of the food supply chain will be based on wireless communication and active, intelligent and communicating packages. The packages will protect the food without additives, inform about the product quality and history in every stage of the logistic chain, guide the journey of the package, reduce product loss, and will give real-time information to the consumer about the properties, quality and/or use of the product.

food; packaging; processing; shelf life

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