Coordination of Green Packaging and Active Packaging (Part 2)

The demands of consumers in developed countries for ensuring food safety and the requirements for companies to differentiate and add value to their products are getting higher and higher. The days of simple packaging of food products are long gone, and “positive” packaging of food products has been Imperative. Active packaging of food not only creates a barrier between food and the environment, but also interacts with food to improve food quality, safety, counter time, and usage.

2.1 Deoxygenation packaging

Oxygen-removal packaging is one of the commonly used methods for fresh-keeping packaging, which is to put an oxygen scavenger in the packaging to eliminate oxygen in the packaging or to reduce the concentration of oxygen to a certain level. Oxygen-removal packaging can prevent the oxidation of food oils and pigments, inhibit the growth and reproduction of aerobic microorganisms; can maintain the aroma of food, prevent spoilage, and extend its value-preserving period; for food and other objects, it can prevent pests. And mildew.

2.2 Information Packaging

Information packaging is a package that provides information that reflects the status of the package contents. Put the enzyme color indicator or other biosensor into the package. When the food spoils and deteriorates, the package will change color to remind sellers and consumers. For fruit packaging, it can show the maturity of the fruit so that consumers can see at a glance whether the product is suitable for purchase.

2.3 Extended Functional Packaging

In fact, active packaging is not unfamiliar to many consumers. The most well-known is the number of cans for cans. When the pull-down ring is pulled, the pressure inside the can drops, and the fresh beer surface will foam. There is already a beer can on the market that can be automatically cooled. The beer cans are divided into two parts, the upper half contains beer, and there is an additional compartment containing a water-like gel inside the tank wall. The lower part is a sealed vacuum with a desiccant inside. When the lower part is twisted hard, the sealant is torn, the air pressure inside the can drops, and the upper part of the water gel rapidly evaporates, thereby cooling the beer. This kind of packaging is not a traditional packaging, and it has further expanded the packaging function.

2.4 The future of active packaging

Many technologies for active packaging are still in the research stage, especially in Europe. In addition to economic considerations, there are other reasons that hinder the widespread use of active packaging, such as: food and consumer goods regulations, and consumers Suspicion of packaging materials. However, this situation has now changed, and the European Commission has played a role in launching many investigations on this issue. In any case, active packaging in Europe will become a part of the packaging market and will be increasingly accepted by consumers. However, active packaging is not a panacea. It requires careful consideration of technical and economic constraints and detailed study of the improved results. The current trend is to use positive reactive substances directly in packaging materials. This is the result of technological progress and European legislative activities guaranteeing the legitimacy of positive packaging.

Positive packaging has been popular in the European market but it is only used on specific occasions. In general, positive packaging helps to improve the quality of packaging, both from the consumer and from the retail market, until there are no better solutions. The future trend is: oxygen packaging will become an important part of the active packaging market; there will be more and more positive functions integrated into the packaging materials; positive packaging materials, mainly moisture absorption and oxygen absorption materials need to be properly Storage, thereby increasing the difficulty of the logistics of packaging materials; the application of improved air (protection gas, vacuum) packaging is still very important.

Experts on green packaging and active packaging predict that active packaging will become the future trend of the world food packaging industry. As more and more companies realize the huge commercial benefits of active packaging, there will be more food products. Packaging will develop towards positive packaging trends.

3 Green packaging and active packaging should be coordinated development

3.1 vigorously develop active packaging to prevent redundant packaging and promote simple and reliable packaging

At present, there is still a big gap between China's packaging industry and the world's advanced level. We must vigorously develop active packaging and pay attention to the technological content of packaging. Our packaging materials, packaging machinery and equipment are also heavily dependent on imports, and there are not many products with independent intellectual property rights. Therefore, the focus of China's packaging industry should be on scientific and technological progress, strengthen the study of packaging materials and packaging machinery, starting from the actual situation, explore a packaging road in line with China's national conditions.

Correctly understand the meaning of green packaging and active packaging, and prevent the two from being placed in an opposing position. Green packaging is often interpreted as the environmental protection of packaging products, and mistakenly regards the use of easily degradable materials as a green packaging, regardless of whether the production process of packaging products causes environmental pollution and waste of resources. Packaging is regarded as green packaging, while plastic packaging is placed on the opposite side of green packaging, and paper-based plastic molding is fully implemented. In fact, if paper packaging is handled improperly, it will cause pollution, and plastic has the advantage that other materials cannot be replaced, and plastic ban will be completely prohibited. Cause greater pollution. China's forest resources are limited, and the pollution caused by papermaking with other materials is also very serious. It is not realistic to use paper for plastics. In addition, packaging design must proceed from reality and be based on facts. Under the premise of satisfying packaging functions, the packaging should be simplified, and cheap and easy-to-use environmentally friendly packaging materials should be used.

3.2 Promulgating corresponding laws and regulations and taking the road of sustainable development

Relevant departments should encourage and supervise enterprises to pass environmental certification and give certain preferential policies to enterprises that produce green packaging products. According to the requirements of ISO 14000, packaging companies must pass environmental certification (EA), packaging must have environmental labeling (EI), and assess the company's environmental behavior and environmental impact, and perform a life cycle assessment of the whole process of the packaging product in order to carry out process control. The "zero pollution" process produces green products.

In short, we must continuously develop new packaging materials, new packaging technologies and new packaging technologies, and break through the bottlenecks in product packaging and product cost constraints in green packaging and active packaging. To proceed from the long-term interests of mankind and take the road of sustainable development. While vigorously developing active packaging, we must also take into account the development of green packaging. The coordinated development of the two is a prerequisite for the rapid and healthy development of the packaging industry.