A food's package is its image for consumers. It must include all the information about the maker, the ingredients, the nutritional information, the product and advertising in a small space. Although interesting for any consumer, that information is no longer enough: consumers demand more and more clear, concrete information to help them decide if the food is what they want. They also want to know where the product originated and everything there is to know about the food's safety.
The world has changed at a dizzying speed since the end of the Second World War, to the point where today the majority of food consumed in developed countries is packaged. For the most part, all fresh animal products are sold this way, while plant products, especially fruit and vegetables, are still sold loose, though each consumer packages these after weighing and selecting them.
The change to the way food is produced, distributed, stored and sold reflects the steadily rising demands of consumers in terms of quality and consumer awareness. Among the systems which meet those expectations it is worth highlighting the package.
The consumer and the importance of the package
Although consumers are not conscious of the great variety of material which compose the products they buy, they want to be sure that the packaging does its job. Whenever new information appears on a package, consumers assimilate it quickly and demand it from other producers.
The consumer has embraced the importance of packaging and considers packaged food more secure since it will not be contaminated, dirtied or wet. Beyond mere transport, packaging is an active part of food preservation and marketing programs. For example, thanks to one type of package, today it is possible to find ready to eat salads, individual packages or pre-cooked meals which only require microwave heating in the package.
Design and packaging
Food firms want to offer consumers new products that adapt to the latest lifestyles, but they also need to attract attention because of the great variety of products in the market. This is where package design is important. The look and features of the package contribute to the sale, in addition to those of the product. For this reason, there are packages that can be transformed into containers for other food, or which include toys for children.
In developed countries consumers demand more natural products which resemble fresh food. This is because of the association between fresh food and the maximum quality and nutritional value. This is possible, but at the cost of a short shelf life. Yet consumers ask for a little more: food shouldn't just last days or weeks, but months. Obviously, if consumers demand minimal processing and long shelf lives, there is a necessity for some kind of modification to meet the demand.
This can take the form of different types of packages. First, the traditional package, does not modify the air to which the food is exposed. All it does is avoid cross-contamination from other food, the supply chain and the environment. Vacuum packages, in which air is removed, lower the concentration of oxygen. Controlled atmospheres are based on maintaining a balance of gases, usually nitrogen and carbon dioxide, and is actively maintained during storage. Finally, in modified atmosphere storage the gas composition is fixed at the beginning of storage and left unmodified. If the packaging is not airtight, the atmosphere around the food can change over time. Due to price and simplicity, the most popular systems are vacuum packaging and especially modified atmosphere storage.
Preservation
The growing demand and search for high quality products has set off the development of new preservation techniques designed to maintain the initial characteristics of products. Packaging uses three principal gases: oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, which work individually or in combination to maintain the quality of food. They permit the preservation of the product in a fresh state, without chemical or heat treatment, or they can be used in conjunction with those treatments to prolong and guarantee a longer shelf life.
Still, even though the industry is accustomed to this technology, nobody has experience using it over many years. It's curious how consumers assimilate technology to the point where it seems that plastic and packaging existed forever. Further, people say "it's been that way our whole lives". In reality, that is not true.
The modified atmosphere package was popularized in the last 15 years. Although the packaged product appears the same as an unpackaged product, in reality the conditions are not identical, for the sake of safety. In an anaerobic environment, food should not be kept at room temperature.
Too high a temperature can provoke the growth of microorganisms, including harmful ones. For this reason, the producer provides storage conditions, including the temperature at which products must be maintained, which is very important for guaranteeing the quality and security.
