Food Packaging Technology Handbook (3rd Revised Edition)  (Paperback, NIIR Board of Consultants Engineers)

Food Packaging Technology Handbook (3rd Revised Edition) (Biodegradable Films, Materials , Polymers, Aseptic Packaging, Labels and Labelling, Packaging of Cashew Nuts, Dairy Products, Milk, Fish, Meat, Shrimps, Canning of Vegetables, Fruits with details of Machinery and Equipments) Food packaging technology is primarily concerned with packaging activities regarding protection of food products from biological, physical or chemical agents. With the growth of modern civilization, people are getting more concerned with hygiene and quality of the food. The packaging industry’s growth has led to greater specialization and sophistication from the point of view of health and environment friendliness of packing material. The demand on the packaging industry is challenging, given the increasing environmental awareness among communities. The food packaging industry is growing at the rate of 22 to 25 per cent per annum. In near future it is going to be a booming industry. Packaging has played a critical role as a differentiator in promoting brands, especially for packaged food products. With the increase in urbanization and emergence of supermarkets and hypermarkets, differentiating food products through the aesthetic appeal of packaging has become important for food manufacturers. Furthermore, consumers are increasingly paying more attention to the ingredients and contents of the package. This provides an opportunity for the food packaging technology & equipment manufacturers as food manufacturers need to differentiate their products by conveying the benefits of packaging technology on the labels and packets, such as shelf life, the time required for preparing the food, and nutritional contents to the consumers. Biodegradable packaging is produced using biopolymers, which are molecules often found in living organisms, like cellulose and proteins. This means they can be safely consumed, degrade quickly, and often be created from waste plant products. The main applications of bio-based and biodegradable plastics are currently in (food) packaging, food service ware, (shopping) bags, fibres/nonwovens and agricultural applications. Bio-based drop-in plastics such as bio-PE and bio-PET are identical to fossil-based counterparts and can be used in exactly the same applications. The more recently developed bio-based plastics (bio-PE and bio-PET) are also mainly used in food packaging. The increasing awareness of the environmental impact of packaging products and a willingness to replace packaging materials by alternatives with e.g. a lower carbon footprint or made from renewable resources are the main driver for development and the use of these materials. This book gives comprehensive account of food packaging, which is the most important part to preserve the food for a long time. The present volume has been written primarily for the benefit of new entrepreneurs, technologists, technical libraries and for those who want to diversify in the field of food industry.