We are all living in the era of ready-made food. No one has the time to prepare a decent meal for himself or herself. Packed food that you directly push into your microwave for two minutes has become the daily eating habit, common to the peoples of this world. What happened exactly is not of importance. What is important is that it led to a drastic change in the outlook towards food that the world had. Today, almost every household is familiar with packed food. On a daily basis, they have to consume it, and prepare to take on their priorities head-on. This is the primary reasons why food packaging companies have started to take the matter seriously. The food that is packed needs to be in the best condition until it is consumed so that the health of such a hardworking population is not compromised.
Back in the days when packaging was a new concept, the materials in use were worlds apart from the ones in use now. Metals, wood and cork were popular as packaging materials early on. A few years down the line, trends shifted to using paper for packaging. This went on for a while, when someone in the world invented polyethylene terephthalate. It was the invention of this material that revolutionized the industry of food packaging. It was found that this material could preserve foods for a longer duration, which made it possible to ship them over longer distances. This went on for a very long period of time. Long enough to sound the alarms of environmental hazard that this material was causing. When this happened, the plastic packaging manufacturers took on the responsibility of finding something eco-friendly. As you observe today, many eco-friendly materials and practices are in use that help conserve both – the food and the environment.
The basic functions that custom food packaging has to perform are listed out next. First, the packaging needs to form a barrier around the foodstuff. This protects it from airborne pathogens that may potentially infect it. This barrier also works to protect food from water vapour (to stop your cookies from losing their crunch, for example). Some foods require vacuum packaging, which is possible through using advanced packing techniques. Vacuum prevents any atmospheric intervention into the packed food. It may cost a bit more, though. Vacuum needs special packaging that is capable of maintaining its seal in addition to preserving the food. If there happens to be a leak, air will start to enter the package and beat its purpose. For products that are in liquid form, and not necessarily packed in bottles, special packages are needed. Thicker plastics with leak-proof sealing and easy-pour outlets are popular. Tetra-packs are a good example of this kind of packaging.
Packed food has saved many people from missing their breakfast because of work, and continues to serve the busy-bee humans as a faithful dinner plate. It will be around for quite some time, and maybe the future will see further evolved and improved packaging.
To know more about custom food packaging, visit Southpack.com
Source : articlesbase.com
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