The 3 key steps that guarantee the integrity of food packaging
Originally packaging had the primary function of containing a product, being able to carry it and manipulating it.
Nowadays, it plays a much more important role that aims on the one hand at attracting the customer,
but above all to protect! In the following article, I will present the reasons for which packaging, storage and transport guarantee your health food protection.
1/ Why a food contact film packaging?
Because food poisoning of bacterial origin often results from inadequate control of hygiene conditions, particularly during the production, processing and distribution of foodstuffs.
Various sets of standards are available for manufacturers and suppliers of food packaging, including:
- The Codex Alimentarius: harmonized international food standards to protect the health of consumers.
- ISO 22000: 2005: contains the general requirements for the management of food safety
- NF EN 15593 on “Packaging – Hygiene Management in the Manufacture of Packaging for Foodstuffs – Requirements”, which is a European standard.
These various standards and regulations aim to protect you by ensuring that the product you buy is not contaminated during various phases of packaging, storage and transport.
Wrapped in a container, food packaging produced here in small reel, is totally isolated.
There are also packages, named “hanged packages”, which are more suited for films produced by rolls. On this type of packaging we can notice that the rolls are “suspended” thanks to two protections that prevents both rolls to touch each other and therefore deteriorate.
In both cases, the film produced which is intended for food packaging has very little contact with the outside. It is thus protected from the various possible contaminants (hair, soiling, splashes …) by a plastic sheath that does not alter its technical properties.
2/ Storage
It seems obvious that to preserve the film intended for food packaging, it must be kept in a clean place. However a storage hall is not, by definition, a cleanroom. Therefore there are a number of techniques that allow to avoid contamination and degradation during storage.
Packaging itself provides a solution. Whether suspended or in containers, the film does not come into contact with the pallet on which it rests. In the interest of safety, everything is always wrapped in sheath or cardboard.
You may very well tell yourself that cardboard is fine, but it easily absorbs liquids and you would be right! To avoid this, the pallets are covered with a plastic film and wrapped from bottom to top and from top to bottom. These multilayers of stretch film provide, in addition to the stability, a very good protection against splashes.
The two types of packaging presented can be stacked, which saves space, without risk of damaging the produced material.
3/ Transport
Whether it is by air, sea or road, transport is also subject to rules. They are defined by a document called HACCP which is included in the specifications of the carriers.
During the whole transport period, the film intended for food packaging will never be in the vicinity of other goods which could degrade it, such as paints, varnishes or other so-called toxic products.
For example, if the condition of the truck is unsatisfactory and/or does not meet the requirements of the hygiene standards, the vehicle must be returned or cleared.
Finally, it is important to remember that the number one priority of all these regulations is your protection, from the production of the protective film for your salad in bags to its transport in your supermarket, all the processes put in place are to look after your health.
Angélique Legrand
Logistics Manager