Biscuits packaging

One positive factor in biscuit packaging is that there are now available a whole range of polymers that act as both a moisture and a vapour barrier. These films offer much better protection than the waxed paper that was once used. The other improvement is the use of high speed highly mechanised packing machinery. 

Biscuit, cookie and cracker manufacturing manuals Volume 6 Biscuit packaging and storage... 

Biscuit Mixes. Biscuit mixes are often packaged in printed paper/ heat sealant-coated pouches. At one time the paper was coated with polyethylene and PVDC (as the sealing medium) for grease resistance, since many biscuit mixes contain up to 12% shortening. Many grease spots appeared on pouches because of cracks appearing in the brittle PVDC... 

Tins of biscuits, particularly with a decorative tin, are a popular gift and souvenir item. Some years ago HM Customs and Excise attempted to claim that while the biscuits were a food the decorated tin was not a mere packaging but a separate supply and should pay VAT at the standard rate. This was a serious issue for the retailer concerned since Customs and Excise were demanding the VAT that the retailer had not collected Eventually, the retailer won and the tins were ruled to be packaging. 

Except in the case of biscuits in a decorative tin the manufacture is in a dilemma between the customer who dislikes broken or soggy biscuits, environmentalists who dislike excess packaging, and the finance director who dislikes excess spending on packaging. 

Moisture absorbers. Based on cellulose fibres or a cross-linked polymer hydro gel to remove the drip from fresh meat resulting in a better appearance of the food. In some packaging, mixtures of herbs are added to the absorbing pad to avoid microbiological growth in the drip juice and as a result a longer shelf life. For dry foods, e.g., biscuits, moisture regulators based on silica gel or molecular sieve may be employed. 

Fig. 18.1 Food/packaging configurations for transfer studies from secondary packaging to foods (Jickells et al., 2005) (a) chocolate-coated cream wafer bars single- and multi-pack format in corrugated board box (b) milk chocolate-coated wafer biscuits in cartonboard boxes (c) chocolate-coated ice-cream bars in cartonboard box (d) oatcake biscuits in cartonboard boxes (e) savoury crackers in cartonboard boxes (f) wheat biscuit breakfast cereal in cartonboard boxes (g) crisps (potato chips) in corrugated board box.

For studies carried out investigating the nature of foodstuffs, MPPO was replaced by wheat biscuit breakfast cereal (representing a dry foodstuff with low fat content), savoury biscuits (dry foodstuff with high fat content), butter (fatty foodstuff) or orange juice (acidic foodstuff). PP film was used as the primary packaging material for the studies with foods. Conclusions from the studies were as follows ... 

Sandwiches consist of one or more flavours of ice cream between two biscuits or wafers, which may have been covered in chocolate (Figure 5.4a). Biscuits are made by mixing flour, sugar and fat, shaping and then baking. The sandwich can be assembled layer by layer, i.e. the first biscuit or wafer is covered with ice cream, which in turn is covered with a second biscuit or wafer. Alternatively, the ice cream can be extruded between two biscuits. The product is then hardened, dipped in chocolate or couverture if required, and packaged. 

Film Applications BOPP is widely used to package snack foods, cookies, crackers, biscuits, cigarettes, and more. i... 

The main sources of contamination of the food chain with mono-cycHc aromatic hydrocarbons are oil spills, but also include a variety of coatings and plastics. MonocycHc aromatic hydrocarbons may also arise as products of the combustion of various materials. Food contamination occurs primarily by absorption from the air and water, and in animals from the surrounding environment. Another type of food contamination is migration from packaging materials. In recent years, much attention has been paid to contamination of yoghurt and biscuits by styrene (vinylbenzene) released from the polystyrene used to manufacture various packagings. 

---