Frozen Beverage Packing Materials - Report Example

Packaging materials for fruit beverages Name Course Tutor Date Frozen beverage packing materials Introduction According to Marsh, and Bugusu, (2007), the increase in competition in food industries has led to development of packaging productivity. Many companies have resorted to minimum packaging which is a significant factor in product presentation and as a way to increase the market share. For the past years, food processing industries has grown at a high rate, but packaging of new products remained behind hence compromising the safety and quality of food. This was attributed by use of packaging technology that did not match the type of food contained in the package. Currently, packaging technology is advancing at a very high rate, and changes in materials used for packaging has led to increase in costs and immense environmental pollution. Achilias, Giannoulis, and Papageorgiou, (2009) are of the view that increased concern for environment conservation has resulted to search for ways to reduce on the volume of packaging materials. The design and construction of a package is an important consideration when determining the time a food product will take in the freezer. Selection of the right packaging materials and technologies help to maintain the quality of the product and its freshness at the time of distribution and storage cold temperatures. Package material selection Selection of the package materials for fruit and juice drinks should be based on the package performance especially in relation to the capacity to protect the quality of the product. (Ros-Chumillas et al, 2007). Packaging materials to be used for frozen drinks shall depend on the behavioral properties of the materials. The time the beverage will take in the freezer and recyclability of materials are to be considered too. For the fruit beverages to have stable life while in the freezer, the packaging must at all time be in a position to prevent microbiological contamination. Properties of package to be considered in relations to maintaining product quality are light barrier, aroma barrier and gas barrier. Many fruit beverages are so sensitive to oxidation which leads to loss in vitamins and also undesirable changes in color and taste, and this depends on how the packaging materials respond to cold temperatures. However, oxidation rate and quality degradation of the fruit beverages according to Auras, Harte, and Selke, (2004) does not only depend on the ability of the package to prevent gas from entering to the container, but by the level of total oxygen exposure. This may include the amount of Oxygen in head space, permeability of the walls of the container, permeation of Oxygen through closure or spout, amount of Oxygen desorbed, and Oxygen dissolved into the fruit beverage at the time of filling. The mostly used packaging materials for frozen fruit beverages in the United Kingdom are glass bottles and PET bottles. Both materials are used by fruit production industries to package fruit beverages because of their unique characteristics that are discussed below. Comparison between Glass bottles and PET bottles in low temperatures Glass bottles compared to PET bottles provide better protection to the fruit beverages, thus ensuring longer life under cold temperatures (Brody, 2005). Glass bottles are the best to be used in packaging frozen drinks because; (a) they are moisture and vapor-proof which prevents loss of air and moisture, (b) they are designed in a way that makes it easier to stalk in the freezer, (c) defrosting a beverage from glass bottle takes less time, (d) glass is impermeable to vapors and gases, even when exposed to cold temperatures, and therefore it is able maintain the freshness of the beverage for a considerably longer time. Although inadequate tightness at the metal closure may lead to oxygen ingress, this has always been reduced by numerous liner solutions hence assured content protection. Availability of more UV absorbers to glass material protects the content in the glass bottle from ultraviolet rays. On the other hand PET bottles have been identified to perform poorly under low temperatures. Low temperatures exposes PET materials to fibre pull-out which makes them to fracture. The longer the stay in the freezer the higher the chances of them being weakened, and when removed from cold temperatures they are likely to fracture. Advantages of Glass bottle Safety Glass unlike other packaging materials does not affect human health and the environment. In fact glass is the only material for packaging which has been recognized as safe by the United Kingdom. The reason behind the argument is that glass is made from the existing natural raw materials and no chemicals are added during the production of glass. Glass bottles are able to protect fruit beverages more effectively and at the same time preserve their taste and purity. It is approximated that the life for fruit beverages under cold temperatures in glass bottle is twelve months or even more. This is because they are usually hot-filled subject to installations related to cold aseptic filling (Ashurst, 1994). Sustainability It is important to note that glass is a recyclable material. It is a sustainable mono-material implying that irrespective of how many times the material is exposed to recycling, it may not lose its quality and purity. Glass may be recycled into useful items like glass bottles, and this helps to save energy used and raw materials. Lagaron, Catalá, and Gavara, (2004) assert that recycled glass has over time been used to produce other products like countertops, concrete pavements and tiles. Because of the ability to recycle glass, many food and beverages production companies have emphasized the use of glass containers in packaging the products. This helps to reduce the cost of production which may otherwise affect the level of profits. Ease of opening The glass rigidity makes it easier to open the container, and also reduces the chances of closure misalignment especially after it is removed from the freezer, unlike other materials like plastics (Ayhan et al, 2001). There has been improvement in the treatment of glass surface and product filling and retorting due technological advancements, and this has helped to reduce the problems encountered when removing the closure of the glass bottle. However, in order to maintain products’ life in cold temperatures, it is prudent to retain a sufficient closure torque in place. It is also helpful especially during the distribution of the products to different market destinations. Strength Although glass is criticized for being brittle, it has the capacity to hold top load thus making them friendlier to handle at the time of filling and distribution. According to Ayhan et al, (2001), despite the fact that the weight of glass is not favorable as compared to that of PET bottles a lot of savings on costs are made in warehousing and distribution. Importantly, glass containers are able to accommodate high top loading with less secondary packaging. Elasticity of the glass material allows it to absorb energy up to a certain point when exposed to any kind of impact. The ability to resist impact is a result of even distribution of glass when the container is manufactured and treatment. Quality image and transparency Consumer research consistently indicates that consumers have developed of high quality to products in packaged in glass materials. This therefore means that such consumers are prepared to pay more for the products. Glass bottles are transparent and this allows the buyer of the product to clearly see the content in the bottle (Welch, Hawker, and Wooley, (2009). This is an advantage to the purchaser especially for fruit beverages since he or she is able to make an appropriate choice. Generally, glass has a strong impact to consumer choice compared to other packaging materials, with distinct clarity, texture and shape that cannot be related to plastic packages. Disadvantages of glass packaging Weight The weight of glass is considered to be disadvantageous compared to other packaging materials (Ayhan et al, (2001). It therefore implies that more trips either by road or air may be needed to transport products packaged in glass. This also means that the extra costs incurred on transport shall be passed onto consumers reflected through high prices. After purchasing a product packaged in glass materials, it is heavier for the consumers to carry it from the place of purchase up to their area of residence. This may force the consumers to shy away from buying such items and concentrate on purchasing lighter products. Fragility and Slipperiness Glass material smashes easily when they are not handled with care. When you accidentally happen to knock an item made from glass on a hard object, you are likely to break it into several pieces. This is why companies that have continued to use glass materials in packaging their products have to be extremely careful at all the manufacturing and transportation stages of their product cycle. Additionally, glass is slippery to touch compared to other materials for packaging, and therefore chances of dropping it more often are high (Brody, 2005). Use of PET bottles in packaging PET bottles have high quality and are highly durable. They are manufactured by use of high grade raw materials (Auras, Harte, and Selke, 2004). Many companies are increasingly using PET bottles to package their liquid products such as fruit drinks because of advantages associated with them. PET bottles are available in different colors, sizes and at affordable rates. Especially to the consumers, PET bottles provide several advantages compared to other packaging materials. Advantages of PET bottles Renewability Replacement products like PET bottles have more significant advantages compared to other packaging materials. PET has a well established recycling infrastructure, ranging from widely spread collection, separation and eventually processing to be of importance to the end user. According to Massey, (2003), the manufacturers of PET thermoform use most of recycled PET in packaging. The demand for recycled PET has gradually gone high and has been curtailed by supply. PET recycled into different types of end products like carpeting, fiberfill, food bottles, and thermoformed PET packaging. Light weight PET is light in weight and therefore products packed in PET bottles can be transported efficiently, allowing lighter secondary packaging (Lagaron, Catalá, and Gavara, 2004). This inherent quality of PET helps to reduce transport costs for products packed in PET materials. PET materials have unique geometric properties implying that it has more opportunities for low weight efficiencies. Consumers prefer fruit drinks that are packed in PET materials because they can easily carry them around with ease. Greater product protection PET bottles have the capacity to protect and preserve liquid beverages stored in them against oxygen and carbon dioxide migration (Auras, Harte, and Selke, 2004). This is because of the barrier properties contained in PET materials. However, not all resins have the inherent barrier properties to be enhanced by technology. Oxygen transmission plays a major role in ensuring prolonged shelf-life and freshness of a product. PET provides reduces oxygen transmission more than PLA, and thus more suitable for making for packaging items. Flexibility PET material is easy to store, clean up and can be re-sealed, making it appropriate for packaging. It is also considerably easy to work with, creating room for innovation especially in the designing of the package. It is in this respect that PET provides adequate customer choice in various applications. Today, as technology changes new PET packaging options have been developed leading to mixed product performance and consumer appeal (Achilias, Giannoulis, and Papageorgiou, 2009). Disadvantages of PET materials Gas permeability The rate of gas permeability in PET materials higher compared to glass and other packaging materials (Massey, 2003). This process takes place through diffusion, in absence of pressure in the same way carbonated beverage intakes oxygen while it releases carbon dioxide at the same time. The oxygen that intrudes is likely to damage the ingredients used to manufacture the beverage, more so the vitamins and flavors. Flavor absorption PET is known to absorb components of flavor of the beverage when it is used for packaging, and this is due to the structure of the material (Auras, Harte, and Selke, 2004). The polymer molecules of PET are tangled together like a sponge where components of flavor are stored and released. As the level of crystallization increases, the structure of polymer molecules is untangled allowing foreign materials to be absorbed. This according to Marsh, and Bugusu, (2007), has necessitated the development of returnable PET bottles, even though there is possibility of absorbing flavor. These disadvantages imply that the shelf life of fruit drinks packed in PET bottles is shorter than in glass bottle. Conclusion There is an increase in the choice of product packaging especially for fruit based beverages considering respective advantages and disadvantages the materials offer. In order to choose the appropriate packaging, juice producers are required to have a better knowledge of their product and an understanding of various packaging materials. From the above review, it is evidence that different packaging materials have unique inherent properties that make them suitable to be used in packaging fruit drinks. However, their suitability depends on the type of beverage in question. Even as many fruit processing companies continue to focus much on use of PET bottles in packaging, glass bottles have remained relevant in packaging due to their numerous advantages. References Achilias, D. S., Giannoulis, A., & Papageorgiou, G. Z 2009, “ Recycling of polymers from plastic packaging materials using the dissolution–reprecipitation technique,” Polymer bulletin, 63(3), 449-465. Ashurst, P. R 1994, “ Production and packaging of non-carbonated fruit juices and fruit beverages,” Springer. Auras, R., Harte, B., & Selke, S 2004,“ An overview of polylactides as packaging materials,” Macromolecular bioscience, 4(9), 835-864. Ayhan, Z., Yeom, H. W., Zhang, Q. H., & Min, D. B 2001, “ Flavor, color, and vitamin C retention of pulsed electric field processed orange juice in different packaging materials,” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 49(2), 669-674. Brody, A. L 2005), “ Packaging, Food,” Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. Lagaron, J. M., Catalá, R., & Gavara, R 2004, “ Structural characteristics defining high barrier properties in polymeric materials,” Materials science and technology, 20(1), 1-7. Marsh, K., & Bugusu, B 2007, “Food packaging—roles, materials, and environmental issues,” Journal of food science, 72(3), R39-R55. Massey, L. K 2003, “ Permeability properties of plastics and elastomers: a guide to packaging and barrier materials,” William Andrew. Ros-Chumillas, M., Belissario, Y., Iguaz, A., & López, A 2007, “ Quality and shelf life of orange juice aseptically packaged in PET bottles,” Journal of food engineering, 79(1), 234-242. Welch, M. J., Hawker, C. J., & Wooley, K. L 2009, “ The advantages of nanoparticles for PET,” Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 50(11), 1743-1746. Read More

Comparison between Glass bottles and PET bottles in low temperatures Glass bottles compared to PET bottles provide better protection to the fruit beverages, thus ensuring longer life under cold temperatures (Brody, 2005). Glass bottles are the best to be used in packaging frozen drinks because; (a) they are moisture and vapor-proof which prevents loss of air and moisture, (b) they are designed in a way that makes it easier to stalk in the freezer, (c) defrosting a beverage from glass bottle takes less time, (d) glass is impermeable to vapors and gases, even when exposed to cold temperatures, and therefore it is able maintain the freshness of the beverage for a considerably longer time.

Although inadequate tightness at the metal closure may lead to oxygen ingress, this has always been reduced by numerous liner solutions hence assured content protection. Availability of more UV absorbers to glass material protects the content in the glass bottle from ultraviolet rays. On the other hand PET bottles have been identified to perform poorly under low temperatures. Low temperatures exposes PET materials to fibre pull-out which makes them to fracture. The longer the stay in the freezer the higher the chances of them being weakened, and when removed from cold temperatures they are likely to fracture.

Advantages of Glass bottle Safety Glass unlike other packaging materials does not affect human health and the environment. In fact glass is the only material for packaging which has been recognized as safe by the United Kingdom. The reason behind the argument is that glass is made from the existing natural raw materials and no chemicals are added during the production of glass. Glass bottles are able to protect fruit beverages more effectively and at the same time preserve their taste and purity.

It is approximated that the life for fruit beverages under cold temperatures in glass bottle is twelve months or even more. This is because they are usually hot-filled subject to installations related to cold aseptic filling (Ashurst, 1994). Sustainability It is important to note that glass is a recyclable material. It is a sustainable mono-material implying that irrespective of how many times the material is exposed to recycling, it may not lose its quality and purity. Glass may be recycled into useful items like glass bottles, and this helps to save energy used and raw materials.

Lagaron, Catalá, and Gavara, (2004) assert that recycled glass has over time been used to produce other products like countertops, concrete pavements and tiles. Because of the ability to recycle glass, many food and beverages production companies have emphasized the use of glass containers in packaging the products. This helps to reduce the cost of production which may otherwise affect the level of profits. Ease of opening The glass rigidity makes it easier to open the container, and also reduces the chances of closure misalignment especially after it is removed from the freezer, unlike other materials like plastics (Ayhan et al, 2001).

There has been improvement in the treatment of glass surface and product filling and retorting due technological advancements, and this has helped to reduce the problems encountered when removing the closure of the glass bottle. However, in order to maintain products’ life in cold temperatures, it is prudent to retain a sufficient closure torque in place. It is also helpful especially during the distribution of the products to different market destinations. Strength Although glass is criticized for being brittle, it has the capacity to hold top load thus making them friendlier to handle at the time of filling and distribution.

According to Ayhan et al, (2001), despite the fact that the weight of glass is not favorable as compared to that of PET bottles a lot of savings on costs are made in warehousing and distribution. Importantly, glass containers are able to accommodate high top loading with less secondary packaging. Elasticity of the glass material allows it to absorb energy up to a certain point when exposed to any kind of impact.

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