آخرين شماره منتشره

 ماهنامه صنعت بسته‌بندي

تصوير بزرگتر طرح جلد

 

آخرين نسخه ديجيتال

ماهنامه صنعت بسته بندي

تصوير بزرگتر طرح جلد

قابل توجه

همه متخصصان بسته‌بندي

فراخوان بانك اطلاعات

متخصصان بسته‌بندي

اين جا را كليك كنيد

كاربر گرامي

به منظور حفظ حقوق عزيزاني كه ماهنامه صنعت بسته‌بندي را از طريق پرداخت حق اشتراك مشترك شده‌اند از اين پس نسخه ديجيتالي رايگان اين ماهنامه با فاصله دو شماره از آخرين شماره چاپ شده روي سايت اينترنتي ايران‌پك قرار خواهد گرفت. درباره اشتراك مجله

 

کتاب صنعت و خدمات بسته‌بندي

کاملترین فهرست فعالان بسته‌بندي در کشور

Trends in MAP and Active Packaging

 

Simon Smith,

Senior Consultant Business Intelligence,

Pira International,

United Kingdom

Active packaging is packaging that performs an active function after the contents are packaged by interacting with the contents to deliver improvements in quality, shelf life, safety and usability. Examples include oxygen scavengers, carbon dioxide scavengers and emitters, ethylene scavengers, antibacterial films, ethanol emitters, moisture scavengers, flavour or odour absorbers, antioxidants, self-venting, susceptor laminates, and temperature control.

Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is packaging used to prolong the shelf life of processed or fresh food by changing the composition of the atmosphere surrounding the food in the package. MAP is used for different products, so the atmosphere in the package depends on the product type, the temperature and the packaging materials.

Active packaging technologies were initially considered to offer huge market potential and benefits for producers and consumers. Undoubtedly, there has been good growth in active packaging technologies over the past five years, but several factors have restrained market growth: its relatively high cost, consumer resistance and restrictions imposed by food safety legislation, particularly in the European Union.

With the notable exception of Japan (which dominates the active packaging market) active packaging technologies have largely failed to take off, apart from oxygen scavengers for beer, moisture scavengers and absorbers for fresh meat, and self-venting and microwave packaging for ready meals, baked products and snack foods in the United States and Europe. Vacuum packaging and MAP are a largely mature market in the major countries of Western Europe and the United States, but there are good growth prospects in many developing countries.

PET beer bottles will be a major driver for oxygen scavengers, particularly in Japan and central and Eastern Europe. The growing dominance of major supermarket chains in developed countries and the development of a more advanced retail infrastructure in developing markets will be a key driver for MAP and vacuum packaging. The trend for consumers to demand more convenient packaged foods will drive sales of MAP and active packaging, including use of moisture scavengers, self-venting films and microwave susceptors. The growing demand for organic food has encouraged development of MAP solutions that suit an extended distribution chain. Finally, consumer demand for environment-friendly packaging is driving the introduction of MAP packaging using renewable resources.

PET beer bottles are the principal application for oxygen scavengers outside Japan. They have taken a small share of the beer market, but they have grown strongly over the past five years. In 2008 world consumption of barrier PET beer bottles was estimated at 2.5 billion units, about 5% of global beer market volume. The beer market is unusual in that PET penetration is quite high in the less developed countries of central and eastern Europe and Asia, but minimal in western Europe and North America. Russia, Ukraine and Romania collectively have 80% of world barrier PET beer bottle consumption. Germany, the largest PET beer market in Western Europe, accounts for only 3% of world market volume in PET beer bottles.

During 2009-14 PET beer bottles will probably show further advances in central and Eastern Europe and Asia, but in Western Europe and North America they will remain very much a niche product, largely restricted to sports stadiums and other venues such as nightclubs, where PET has important safety advantages over glass. Western consumers still prefer the premium appeal of beer in a glass bottle and the traditionally conservative nature of major brewers will hold back any further significant penetration by PET bottles in Western Europe’s beer markets.

The technical problems have largely been overcome and a wide range of barriers are

available. They include internal and external coatings, monolayer blends and multilayer pre-forms. Current developments in barrier materials and injection moulding technology suggest that barrier pre-forms may be the preferred option for the future, but the leading brewers are still concerned about possible adverse consumer reaction to the introduction of PET for major brands. There are several ways to improve the barrier properties of PET but few have gained universal acceptance. Siloxane plasma coatings and other new technologies may substantially increase barrier properties. Plasma impulse chemical vapour deposition (PICVD) applies extremely thin coatings of silicon dioxide to achieve previously unattainable barrier properties. PICVD has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Gas barrier technology is a major driver for PET packaging, particularly as there is a slowdown in major market sectors such as carbonated soft drinks. PET companies are searching for new applications. Gas barrier technologies can be categorised by the structure of the material and the type of barrier. Passive barrier systems physically slow down the rate of gas permeation across the sidewalls of the container. This can be achieved using thicker monolayer constructions, multilayer barrier constructions and barrier coatings inside or outside the container. Oxygen scavengers are active barrier systems that chemically react with the gas. They can be incorporated into a multilayer construction or blended into a monolayer material. Oxygen scavengers react with any oxygen in the container after it is filled and capped. They are the most frequently used technology for barrier PET bottles and are often used with a passive barrier.

Because of the growth in national supermarket chains, often over 75% of meat products in developed Western countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and the US are packaged in a central location. Meat used to be packed at the back of stores in EPS (expanded polystyrene) trays that were manually wrapped or machine-wrapped with PVC. The major supermarkets centralised packing to minimise costs and extend product shelf life. This requires a more robust packaging format that can preserve food for longer. The move away from EPS trays towards case-ready MAP packaging is driven by retailers that recognise the economic advantages of centralised production facilities. Advances in automatic tray sealing technology and the greater availability of equipment have helped this trend. But there is a competing trend towards local product sourcing to reduce the carbon footprint of food distribution. Packaging suppliers have already launched a range of PP case-ready trays for fresh poultry and meat that are better suited to centralised packing facilities than EPS trays. These mono PP MAP trays are flushed with a layer of gas before sealing to extend the shelf life of the meat. Another format is rigid barrier trays laminated with a multilayer barrier sealant liner.

New retail structures are encouraging growth in active packaging and MAP for food and drink in China, India and South America plus the less developed countries of central and Eastern Europe. In central and eastern Europe, food and drink retailing has traditionally been dominated by small, local independent and artisan stores. During the past five years, domestic supermarkets and hypermarkets have opened in many of the major cities and now take a growing share of food and drink consumption. Consumers prefer supermarkets and hypermarkets for their wide product ranges and big choice of premium brands, usually unavailable elsewhere. The number of discount stores has increased and so has the number of private-label products; this has enabled people on lower incomes to purchase packaged food and drink at more affordable prices.

Importantly, changes to packaging practices are also creating new opportunities. Brave packaging managers in Iran can get ahead of the game by anticipating these global trends & their impacts and applying them at home. Processors are increasing their product profiles to include smaller and more convenient pack sizes and increasing the variety of products they process. Increasing demand for processed goods reflects an increase in smaller households and their demand for more convenience foods. In meat, poultry and seafood there will be greater demand for flexible packaging than for rigid packaging. Pouches and high-barrier film will be the main growth areas. Pouches are increasingly used to replace cans and high-barrier film is benefiting from rising demand for longer shelf lives and better puncture resistance during transport and handling.

This article is based on research completed for a Pira International market study The Future of Active and Modified Atmosphere Packaging - Market forecasts to 2014. The study is available for £3,500. For more information, please contact Stephen Hill on +44 (0) 1372 802 025, stephen.hill@pira-international.com

Pira International can give packaging suppliers, manufacturers of produce and brand owners an objective understanding of pack performance and help packaging managers bring the best solutions to the marketplace. Pira can undertake a wide range of physical and barrier testing of packaging materials in combination with a variety of pack integrity techniques to provide an understanding of the key properties determining product shelf life.

Pira International

Pira International – the worldwide authority on packaging, paper and print industry supply chains

Established in 1930, Pira provides strategic and technical consulting, testing, intelligence and events to help clients gain market insights, identify opportunities, evaluate product performance and manage compliance