Applications food packaging

While EVOH is of interest primarily for food packaging applications attention is now being turned to non-food outlets such as automotive fuel tanks, floor heating pipes and toothpaste tubes. 

There has been recent interest in lactic acid polymers and copolymers. These materials are environmentally attractive in that renewal and cheap source materials such as potato waste and cheese whey may be used. Such materials have been used for some time in degradable and resorbable surgical sutures but recent efforts have been directed at food packaging applications. There is... 

Plastics packaging and contained food products are chemically related in four distinct ways. This relationship is based largely on the permeation property of the plastic material. Direct chemical reaction between plastic and product is seldom a problem when inert plastics such as polyethylene are used. However, polyethylene can transmit minute amounts of product to the outside. This paper examines the effect of permeation through the plastic wall and the direct effects of the plastic on the food product. Specific food packaging applications and methods of testing are discussed. 

IX lists the results of some of these experiments, comparing the nitrile materials with polyethylene, the most widely used plastic container material, and poly (vinyl chloride), which is being used for a number of food packaging applications. Note that in all instances there is an order of magnitude difference between the Lopac container and the other two. For flavorants, which are usually present in very low concentrations, this dilute solution test is probably more significant than a standard permeability test which only measures weight losses of the pure ingredient. 

Applications As the basic process of electron transfer at an electrode is a fundamental electrochemical principle, polarography can widely be applied. Polarography can be used to determine electroreductible substances such as monomers, organic peroxides, accelerators and antioxidants in solvent extracts of polymers. Residual amounts of monomers remain in manufactured batches of (co)polymers. For food-packaging applications, it is necessary to ensure that the content of such monomers is below regulated level. Polarography has been used for a variety of monomers (styrene, a-methylstyrene, acrylic acid, acrylamide, acrylonitrile, methylmethacrylate) in... 

A variety of optical oxygen sensor systems have been developed for applications such as biomedical, environmental and process control . But very few of them have been critically assessed for their suitability for food packaging applications. It has been proven that substantial development, optimization and redesign of the oxygen-sensitive materials and fabrication processes are required for the oxygen sensors to match practical requirements for these applications5. In particular, specific requirements of food applications are ... 

O Riordan T.C., Voraberger H., Casey N., Kerry J.P., Papkovsky D.B., Study of migration of active components of phosphorescent oxygen sensors for food packaging applications, Anal. Chim. Acta 2005 350,135-141. 

Further reduction in the residual monomer level for food packaging applications (Dow, BASF, etc.). 

Polymers commonly used in food packaging applications. 

International Life Sciences Institute (2000). Report on Packaging Materials 1. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for food packaging applications. ILSI Europe Packaging Material Task Force, Brussels. 

The specific material properties (e.g., high puncture resistance) of Ecovio F Film are very suitable for applications like loop-handle shopping bags. In addition to these film applications, Ecovio X Foam Packaging gives access to foam-based food packaging applications. 

Sorrentino, A., Gorrasia, G, Vittoriaa, V. (2007). Potential perspectives ofbio-nanocomposites for food packaging applications. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 18, 84-95. 

TPX exhibits heat resistance, resistance against microwaves. For these reasons it is suitable in food packaging applications. 

General purpose PS and HIPS are used in food packaging applications. In some packaging configurations, with no direct contact of a surface with the polymer the migration of residual styrene monomer via the vapor-phase with subsequent absorption into the food is believed to be a significant mechanism of accumulation. 

Dry nonionic and cationic material caused no skin and minimal eye irritation during primary irritation studies with rabbits. Dry anionic polyaciylamide did not produce any eye or skin irritation in Laboratory animals. Emulsion nonionic polyacrylamide produced severe eye irritation in rabbits, while anionic and cationic material produced minimal eye irritation in rabbits. Polyacrylamides arc used safely for numerous indirect food packaging applications, potable water, and direct food applications. 

Polymers and higher a-olefins are not toxic their main potential health hazards are associated with residual monomer, antioxidants, and catalyst residues. In particular, PB and PMP are inert materials and usually present no health hazard. PMP is employed extensively for a number of medical and food packaging applications. 

For high value food packaging applications, minimal migration of contaminants into food products is critical. Currendy the FDA requirement is a maximum 0.5 parts per billion (ppb) of noncarcinogenic compounds by dietary exposure (22). 

Huber, M., and Franz, R. (1997). Studies on contamination of post-consumer plastics from controlled resources for recycling into food packaging applications. Deutsche lebensmittel-Rundschan 93(10), 328-331. (In Franz, R., and Welle, F. (2003). Recycling packaging materials. Ch. 23. In "Novel Food Packaging Teclmiques" (R. Ahvenainen, ed.), pp. 497-518. Woodhead, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL). 

PP possesses good water vapor barrier and fat resistance properties. Normal PP films have limited food packaging applications (e.g. packaging of bread) because of their low cold temperature resistance. Copolymer mixtures with ethylene are used to improve cold resistance and heat sealability as well as material strength and, above all, seal strength. 

With respect to food packaging applications there are many different cases. Most of the food contact articles as well as coatings do not come into complete contact with foods for long periodes. 

Safety assessment of modern food packaging applications... 

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