60
APR 2017
FOOD FOCUSTHAILAND
SAFETY
ALERT
regulations, and theUnitedStatesFoodandDrugAdministration (US
FDA).Those lawswill limitminimumamountofheavymetal contained
in the packaging, a diffusion rate of chemical residues from food
packaging on food, and limit amount of microorganisms contained
in theproducts.
Thecompetition in thepackaging industry is rising in linewith tough
competitiveness in the food industry.Thus,manufacturersofpackaging
would like to increase their reliabilityamongconsumers.One thing,we
normallyuse for consideringas safetypackaging is the controllingof
productionprocesswith technology.For instance, theuseofmachinery
including a camera scan- uses for detecting defaulted products and
packaging, may crack or leak, or imperfect packaging. The camera
that used for eachpackaging isdifferent dependingon typeand kind
of packaging, aswell asproblemsoneachproduct.Eachcamerawill
be selected based onmajor problems of each product such as use
formonitoringprintingsystem, for canproduction, for capproduction
in different types including crown cap, normal end, easy open end,
aluminium foil andetc. Ifproducerschoose thecamerascanproperly,
it couldwell help reduce problemof defected packaging.
Sample
Thespoilageof food that arenormally foundandcausedbydefected
of packaging or canare
•Thespoilagebymicroorganism,whichare including
B.polymyxa
and
B.macerans
,coliforms,yeast,andmold.Thespoilagemaycome
from a contamination of cooling water, which water can leak inside
through small pinholes on the can or along ‘side-seam’ of the can.
• The spoilage of food is reacted between can and food. Can,
which make from tin or iron, may have some scratch. After those
scratches have contacted to acid from food, it will cause hydrogen
gas and corrode can.
Thoseproblems couldbedetectedbyusing camera scan, which
isoneofefficiency toolshelping to reducedefectedcanorpackaging.
In English, the word “container” or “package”, it uses the term
“package” in combination with “packing” or “packaging”, whichmeans
themethodof shipping thegoodsorproducts toadestinationwithsafety
and lowest cost.Thatmeansmost industries inparticular “food industry”
must rely on packaging.
Roleof Packaging
Packaginghasmany functions. Those are included:
•
Containment
- packing andwrapping products.
•
ProtectionandPreservation
-protectingproducts fromdamages
and other harmful conditions
•
Be Part of Processing
- such as in sterilization, pasteurization,
hot filling, frozenand etc.
•
Communication
- communicate for bothdirect and indirect ways.
Communicate information fromabovepackaging,or from itsownshape,
whilecolorandpictureon thepackagingcouldhelppromotesalesof the
products as someonegiveadefinition for packaging that “Packaging is
a silent salesman”
•
Special Purpose
- suchas to facilitate theopeningand closingof
the packaging, for repacking, andmicrowaveable etc.
Packaging that could help preserve food quality and lengthen shelf
life of the food will include many factors, including type of packaging
material. Major materials use for packaging productions are such as
glass,paper,metal,andplastic.Eachmaterial hasbothadvantagesand
disadvantages. Food industry has been rapidly developing in line with
the developing of food packaging.
Today, there aremany technologies used in the production of food
packaging for different kindof food,whileconsumershaveplayedmore
attentionon foodsafety. Besides food itself,oneof key factors thathave
directly affected on food safety is food packaging.
Packaginguse for foodmustbesafe,made fromsafety rawmaterials
or has been certified as ‘food grade’. However, still a question how
safe can bemeasured? Those could bemeasured by some laws and
regulations,whicharedrawingbyvariousorganizations.Thosearesuch
as theThai FoodandDrugAdministration (FDA), theEuropeanUnion’s
FoodPackaging…
ImportantNoLessThanFood
Nowadays,packaging is inextricably toourdaily livings.Due tovarious
roles of packaging, which are related to our lives such as sanitary,
foodpreservation, and convenience, therearemanydifferent typesof
packaging in themarket. Yet,packaging thatplaysmoresignificant role
andhas increased its popularity in current ispackagingused for food.
