Currently, there is a growing consumer demand for sensory quality foods, preferably fresh and practical to prepare. Many foods lose their sensory characteristics or are discarded because they are not packaged correctly.
A major influence on product shelf life and shelf life has been packaging and its new technologies. Each type of food has specific needs related to its storage, conservation and transport that must be taken into account by the establishment that supplies them.
food safety
The term “food security” refers to a set of practices whose main objective is to guarantee people access to quality food that does not present any risk to health. Thus, the issue of food safety depends not only on a system that guarantees the production, distribution and consumption of food, but that also does not compromise the same future production, distribution and consumption capacity.
The responsibility for providing safe food rests with everyone who belongs to the food production chain, as everyone must manage natural and human resources more responsibly and ensure a safe and quality product, practices that become viable from the application of the requirements of national and international norms and standards.
With Law nº 9.782/1999, Anvisa's obligation to control and inspect the sanitary conditions of foods and their packaging was concluded. In Brazil there is a technical regulation (RDC Nº 91), which deals specifically with the general criteria for packaging and equipment in contact with food, this resolution addresses all requirements that must be followed for safe packaging and, consequently, a sanitary control of food .
Packaging has fundamental functions for food, mainly to ensure that the product arrives safely at the consumer's table.
Shelf life and its influence
In the food industry, shelf life is of great importance and can be a differentiator in the competitive market. Increasing the shelf life of a food (after the expiration date) also increases the ease of transport, storage, sale in the market and its acceptance.
The presence of an expiry date on a label is the manufacturer's way of guaranteeing the consumer that the product sold is within the period recommended for consumption, in addition to also informing consumers that, within this period, the product will have the its basic quality characteristics conserved.
An important factor that influences the shelf life of the product is the packaging of the food.
The package is initially a container or material that contains the product and that must allow its transport, distribution and handling, protecting the envelope for a certain time. The packaging, if chosen correctly for each type of food and processing, must protect the food product from factors such as oxygen, light, humidity, absorption of strange odors, loss of nutritional value and aroma and microbiological contamination, among others, allowing it to reach service life.
metallic packaging
According to the Center for Packaging Technology (CETEA), the widespread use of metal packaging in the packaging of food products is due to its characteristics of impermeability, low weight and ease of molding. Impermeable packaging allows food to be supported without absorbing liquids in the long term, consequently maintaining the properties of the product.
Steel is one of the most common metals for use in food packaging, being found as preserves. This material stands out for its ease of transport and durability. The difference of steel is its greater protection capacity. With aluminum, for example, protection still exists, but it is lower, mainly due to its thickness and greater sensitivity to impacts.
Source: Consea Junior
