Food Packaging Supplies

Food packaging supplies protect food from tampering and the elements the moment it leaves the manufacturer until it reaches your home. The package ensures that the food is not contaminated. The integrity of the food is also preserved while it is being transported from place to place.

Food Packaging Materials

There are a wide variety of materials used for food packaging supplies including: paper, cardboard boxes, plastic, brick carton, tissue paper, shrink wrap, glass, bubble wrap, film products, aluminum and fiberboard.

Paper

Paper is the top packaging material used. It comes in different variations such as corrugated cardboard, tissue paper, brick carton but the bottomline is they are all made out of good old paper. The good thing with paper is it is environment-friendly, biodegradable and has a high recycling rate of up to 50 percent. They are strong and durable. Thick paper bags can carry as much as 2 kgs. of weight.

Packaging Materials Made from Paper:

  • Cardboard boxes. These have been around since 1817. Most cardboard boxes today are made of corrugated fibre board which makes them more durable. Cardboard boxes are often used in packing huge items such as appliances and computers. Export items are also shipped in cardboard boxes. They are very convenient to transport and safe to handle. The items are also protected from damage, dirt and exposure to light. Cardboard boxes have been widely in use since the year 1817. Nowadays, corrugated fiber board is used to manufacture the cardboard boxes which make it even stronger.
  • Brick carton. This is the accepted material used in packing juice, milk and other liquids worldwide. This type of packaging often makes use of aseptic packaging technology.
  • Tissue paper. Tissue paper is used to wrap items such as porcelain and glass as they are transported. It is placed in the hollow space inside the glass to prevent movement while it is placed in a moving vehicle.

Plastic

This is another popular food packaging material. It is used in almost all kinds of items. Plastics are widely used because they are strong, capable of high impact resistance and re-usable. They also cost lesser than other packaging options. They are very versatile and weigh light. Foods and drinks are often packed in plastic containers such as ice cream or yogurt. The one downside with plastic is they do not decompose when thrown away to the landfill. But they can be recycled, depending on the type of plastic used.

Packaging Materials Made from Plastic:

  • Shrink wrap. Shrink wraps are used in packing foods that tend to spoil easily. You can see this kind of wrap used in packing fruits or vegetables in department stores.
  • Bubble wrap. Bubble wraps are used to cover fragile items. They can be used to wrap fruits such as apples and pineapples.

Glass

This is one of the traditional methods of storing food and liquid products. Soft drink companies and beverages have used glass as a way of packaging their products. Glass is also used in food preserves such as jams and bread spread.

However, in recent years, there is an increasing use of plastic in lieu of glass because plastic do not break unlike glass. Most glass containers are now replaced with plastic. The good thing with glass though is they are recyclable and re-usable.

Aluminum

Aluminum is a metal used in packing certain foods such as processed foods. But they are mostly used on liquid drinks such as soft drinks and beers. Aluminum foil is often used for wrapping foods.

Poylstyrene Foam

These are used for food packaging usually manufactured as foam cups. They are used to pack fresh fruits and vegetables and sealed with a shrink wrap. It is also used as cake dummy for cake decoration purposes.

Steel

Steel that comes in the form tin plates are used for storing beverages, food packaging and cooking oil products. Infant milk formula is sometimes packed in a steel can. This is quite durable and can be recycled also.

Tips on Buying the Right Packaging

When you need to pack food, you need to pick the right packaging material to ensure that the freshness of food is preserved. This is particularly true for food sellers. They must ensure that food products are not tampered, stay fresh and protected from dust, natural elements and light. Here are some tips to look into when packaging food supplies:

  1. Make sure that you comply with hygiene standards. The government has a set rule when it comes to packing and shipping foods. Be sure to adhere to these regulations.
  2. Wrap in clear plastic. This will enable the customer to see the food inside the package. He can also determine the freshness of the product right away.
  3. Put labels. The labels provide valuable information pertaining to the food product. Nutritional values on the labels can help the person determine the content of the food he is buying.
  4. Built to last. The type of food packaging materials chosen must be durable. Remember that the food might need to travel long distance. The packaging must be designed in such a way as to protect the food from shocks, bumps, vibrations and impacts while traveling. Using bubble wraps, for instance, is a great way of protecting the integrity of food.
  5. Presentable. Items such as chocolates and wines are most likely given as gifts. These foods must be wrapped in an attractive but durable package. This way it will be fit to be presented as gifts the moment they reach the customers.

Biggest Packaging Suppliers

There are many notable packaging suppliers worldwide including the following:

  1. International Paper: This is the biggest supplier of people in the US. It is also the biggest pulp and paper company in the entire world. It is based in Memphis, Tennessee. It produces corrugated packaging and food service packaging products.
  2. Tetra Pak: This is the biggest food packaging company in the world in terms of sales, operating in more than 170 countries worldwide. The company is based in Lund, Sweden. It produces packaging solutions for ice cream, cheeses, beverages and dairy products.

The food packaging industry is a huge business amounting to $100 billion dollars a year. Every time a customer buys a food product, he is, in effect, paying for the packaging costs too. Each year, the projected growth for the food packaging supplies industry is believed to be 10 to 15 percent.