TECHNOLOGY AND LIVELIHOOD EDUCATION

FOOD PROCESSING 10
PACKAGE FINISHED/PROCESSED FOOD PRODUCTS

Lesson 1: Prepare Packaging Equipment, Tools, and Equipment

MATERIALS USED IN FOOD (FISH) PACKAGING

Package design and construction play a significant role in determining the shelf life of a food product. The
right selection of packaging materials and technologies maintains product quality and freshness during
distribution and storage.
1. GLASS - containers used in food packaging are often surface-coated to provide
lubrication in the production line and eliminate scratching or surface
abrasion and line jams.
Glass coatings also increase and preserve the strength of the bottle
to reduce breakage.
- Because it is odorless and chemically inert with virtually all food
products, glass has several advantages for food-packaging
applications:
 It is impermeable to gases and vapors, so it maintains
product freshness for a long period of time without impairing taste or flavor.
 The ability to withstand high processing temperatures make glass useful for heat
sterilization of both low- acid and high-acid foods.
 Glass is rigid, provides good insulation, and can be produced in numerous different
shapes.
 The transparency of glass allows consumers to see the product, yet variations in
glass color can protect light-sensitive contents.
 Finally, glass packaging benefits the environment because it is reusable and
recyclable.

- Like any material, glass has some disadvantages:

 Despite efforts to use thinner glass, its heavy weight adds to transportation costs.
 Another concern is its brittleness and susceptibility to breakage from internal
pressure, impact, or thermal shock.

2. METAL - is the most versatile of all packaging forms. It offers a combination of excellent physical
protection
and barrier properties, formability and decorative potential, recyclability, and consumer
acceptance. The 2 metals most predominantly used in packaging are aluminum and steel.

a. Aluminum - Commonly used to make cans, foil, and laminated paper or plastic packaging, aluminum is a
lightweight, silvery white metal derived from bauxite ore, where it exists in combination with
oxygen as alumina.
- Unlike many metals, aluminum is highly resistant to most forms of corrosion; its natural
coating of aluminum oxide provides a highly effective barrier to the effects of air,
temperature, moisture, and chemical attack.
- Besides providing an excellent barrier to moisture, air, odors, light, and microorganisms,
aluminum has good flexibility and surface resilience, excellent malleability and formability,
and outstanding embossing potential. It is also an ideal material for recycling because it is
easy to reclaim and process into new products. Pure aluminum is used for light packaging
of primarily soft-drink cans, pet food, seafood.
- The main disadvantages of aluminum are its high cost compared to other metals (for
example, steel) and its inability to be welded, which renders it useful only for making
seamless containers.
b. Tinplate - In addition to its excellent barrier properties to gases, water vapor,
light, and odors, tinplate can be heat-treated and sealed hermetically, making it
suitable for sterile products. Because it has good ductility and formability, tinplate
can be used for containers of many different shapes. Thus, tinplate is widely used to
form cans for drinks, processed foods, and aerosols; containers for powdered foods
and sugar- or flour-based confections; and as package closures.

4 FUNDAMENTAL FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING PACKAGING MATERIALS

1. Secure and Durable

While all packaging should be reasonably strong, the amount of protection needed will of
course, depend on the fragility of your product.

If you’re selling food items for example, freshness is a top priority. Things like bread,
vegetables, sliced meats, and baked goods must be contained, so that they don’t oxidize and
age faster than necessary. Vacuum sealers are a good choice because they remove the air and
hold the product securely in place.

2. Affordable and Easy to Use

The more complex the packaging, the longer it will take you to prepare products for sale.
Customers aren’t too fond of overly fussy packets either, so keep things simple with heat-sealed
‘pull open’ bags and clear, unobtrusive shrink wrap. If the packaging isn’t integrated with your
branding or brand design, make sure that it doesn’t interfere with or disrupt it. This is particularly
vital when it comes to things like book covers, which need to be protected in a way that doesn’t
obscure any important details.

3. Always Widely Available

Packaging supplies are one of those things that you’ll run out of from time to time. While
sales figures will give you a good idea of what to buy and how much, there’s no real way to
predict if or when you’ll experience a spike. For this reason, we recommend working with the
same packaging supplier every time. Build up a trusted relationship, so that availability is always
guaranteed and you’re never struggling to find a manufacturer that can meet your demands.

4. Eco-Friendly and Legally Compliant

You’ll also need to check that your packaging supplier is adhering to all of the necessary
state and national laws. The government must encourage all businesses to reduce their carbon
footprint and sustainable packaging is a big part of this. Use only quality materials, so that more
strength, more security, and more protection can be enjoyed with less of an impact on the
environment.

STERILIZATION OF PACKAGING MATERIAL AND FOOD CONTACT SURFACES

Packaging plays an important role in the food manufacturing process. It makes food more
appropriate and gives the food more safety from microorganisms and biological and chemical changes so
that the packed foods can have longer shelf life. To have longer shelf life along with food product the
packaging material and all food contact surfaces must be sterilized.

Sterilization of packaging material and food contact surfaces is a very important operation to free
the surface from microorganisms before filling the product, mainly in aseptic packaging of food products.
Packaging material and equipment surface may be sterilized by various methods such as heat, hydrogen
peroxide, irradiation, infrared light etc. and combinations of methods.
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD STERILANT /STERILIZING AGENT:

Sterilization of packaging material is a vital step in the aseptic packaging system. Therefore, the
sterilization process should meet the following requirements for sterilization of packaging materials:
1. Rapid sporicidal activity
2. Ease of application and compatibility with packaging machinery.
3. Compatibility with packaging material
4. Ease of removal and minimum residues
5. Not threat to health of consumer
6. No detrimental effects of residues on the package/ product
7. No health hazard to personnel operating and around the packaging equipment
8. Compatible with environment
9. Non-corrosive to surfaces treated
10. Should be economical & easy to handle

CLEANING AND SANITIZING EQUIPMENT AND PROCESSING/PACKAGING AREA

For Equipment:
Some guidelines/steps to be followed in the proper cleaning and sanitizing of equipment:
1. Wash the surfaces thoroughly with water and detergent to remove dirt
2. Brush and scrub the parts (hinges, cranks, and corner) where dirt like grease and other sediments
accumulate
3. Flush again with tap water until all suds are removed
4. Soak equipment in sanitizing solution for two to five minutes then rinse with tap water
5. Air dry equipment or wipe with clean cloth to dry
6. Store equipment in clean and dry storage areas

For Processing /Packaging Area:

Some guidelines/steps to be followed in the proper cleaning and sanitizing of processing/packaging area:
1. Scrape the food soil from the working table, sinks and floor
2. Wash thoroughly with detergent solution
3. Rinse thoroughly with warm water
4. Sanitize the area for 10-20 minutes