In the context of COVID-19, hygiene and safety are essential to avoid contamination with the virus that has changed the course of life for more than half a year. In addition to individual protection measures, which every individual should respect, economic operators have made considerable efforts to market the products in optimal conditions. Packaging is the key element as it provides the greatest protection for food. Given the current situation, many manufacturers who had unpackaged bakery or pastry products on their shelves were forced to change their sales and delivery strategy.
Inadequate packaging can lead to both product losses and negative effects on the health of consumers. The National Veterinary Sanitary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) has developed a Guide for the food industry regarding food safety in the context of COVID-19, with the aim of highlighting the measures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Importance of product packaging
packaging, by its very nature, accomplishes more roles: protect and help preserve, facilitate storage and transport, provide information about the product or its preparation, etc. The materials from which food packaging is made are diverse and adapted to the type of food.
Dr. Engineer Gabriela Berechet, specialist in the food industry, presented in a intervened awarded to the RO.ALIMENT platform which are the most important aspects that a manufacturer must pay attention to when choosing the type of packaging:
1. Properties of the packaged product (humidity, pH, smell, degree of peroxidation, color, consistency, etc.);
2. Transport, handling and storage conditions (road, rail, air, sea or river, duration of transport, duration of storage, number of handling operations, etc.);
3. Packaging method and closing method (manual, automated, at atmospheric pressure or under vacuum, with shrink wrap, snap closure, etc.);
4. The impact of packaging on the environment (recyclable, disposable, biodegradable, non-degradable)
Packaging solutions
packaging they cannot infect consumers with the SARS-CoV-2 virus as long as they apply the correct hygiene measures. In this pandemic context, in which humanity and the economy have experienced major changes in a short period of time, product packaging plays an essential role. On the one hand, it protects the health of consumers (food safety). On the other hand, it gives producers the opportunity to continue their activity. Specifically, manufacturers who sold unpackaged products in the past can market them without any problem in the pandemic if they package them beforehand. There are different packaging methods, depending on the productivity level of the company, the budget invested in equipment, the capacity and number of operators, etc. Below, we will present a brief description of the most important types of packaging.
- Packaging with shrink wrap
- Vertical packaging
- Flow Pack packaging
- Packaging in preformed bags, closed with a clip band
- Weighing, dosing and packaging
- batching
● Packaging with shrink wrap
Shrink packaging of products requires a special equipment. Folia it is molded to the shape of the product, which can be bread or pastries. This packaging method has a low cost, but the productivity is not very high, because after the packaging comes the labeling stage.
● Vertical packaging
Vertical packaging machines they are recommended for producers who need to pack food in small quantities. For example, croissants, croissants, pretzels, bakery specialties - pastries, etc. It is an efficient alternative to manual packaging as it saves time and energy.
● Flow Pack packaging
The flow pack system represents one of the most advanced packaging methods, being suitable for a wide range of bakery, pastry, confectionery and chocolate products. The packaging is done horizontally and that is why the flow pack system is also recommended for more sensitive products. Also, this type of packaging is known for its high production capacity, but also for the fact that it offers the possibility of automatically printing on the packaging the period of validity and the batch to which the product belongs. Packaging machines they can exceed 100 packs per minute, making them very useful in any high-capacity production facility. In addition, most operations are automated, which implies a reduction in the number of operators. The products are well protected and sealed, the flow pack system offering the possibility to spray alcohol or gas, acting as an inhibitor for harmful microorganisms. The disadvantage is that this packaging solution requires the investment of a larger budget.
● Packaging in preformed bags, closed with a clip band
This method of wrapping is one of the simplest and is used especially for sliced bread. For artisanal bakeries, with low productivity, you can opt for manual slicing machines, where the product is placed in the packaging by the operator.
In the case of medium and large bakeries, the automatic lines of slice packing are the right solution. There are types of equipment with different degrees of automation, even fully automatic lines, where slicing, putting the product in the bag and closing the package is done automatically, without the intervention of the human factor.
Utilizarea the clip tape for closing the packaging is a practical and simple packaging method, being frequently used in bakery and pastry. The advantages are multiple:
- allows marking of the expiration date and the batch, once the packaging is closed;
– the product can be kept in the packaging until it is completely consumed, because the clip band can be reused several times without damage;
– protects the product.
● Weighing, dosing and packaging
It exists on the market complex equipment, which allow several processes to be carried out in a single work step. For example, weighing, dosing and packaging products. These machines ensure the packaging of small products (maximum 8 cm), such as cookies, biscuits, pretzels, buns, pastries, dried fruits, etc. Also, installations of this type are provided with various cushioning options to avoid breakage or breakage of fragile products. Thus, during dosing and packaging they occur with insignificant losses. This one packaging solution is recommended for industrial productions, being an offerer both in terms of dosing heads and in terms of the types of packaging used (plastic or paper bags, boxes, casseroles, etc.).
● Bucking
Boxing machines ensure individual or multiple packaging of products. equipment they can be semi-automatic (they allow manual loading of the product on the supply belt) or automatic (they are equipped with fully automatic loading lines). The packaging is made with shrink wrap. The main role of bax packaging is to transport and store a large amount of products more easily. Usually, the consumer only notices the packaging of the product on the shelf and ignores the box or box it is in. However, bagging remains essential for product protection and benefits producers.
In the current context, when product hygiene is a global concern, the final consumer will prefer packaged bread and bakery, pastry, confectionery specialties. The tendency is to choose packaged products as an additional measure of protection.
On the other hand, manufacturers of packaging and packaging equipment offer multiple solutions that can adapt to any type of product. Collaboration with such producers is essential for the marketing of products under food safety conditions, because the packaging is what ensures the hygiene of the products. The most important role is that of complete protection, from preparation to consumption.
How much theft and crime can be done with professional packaging, with full protection. There are so many bread factories and small bakeries that confer an almost 100% natural quality, without packaging, with bulk sales, which last up to a maximum of 5 days, and those produced by the mastodons do not give names, there is no point, they are of the worst quality, products that last a month in their packaging, and on those packages other ingredients besides flour, water, yeast and with or without salt are listed. In other countries, bread produced in the morning on the day it is put up for sale - produced on that day - has a price, and in the evening the price drops so that the next day it is withdrawn from sale, of course, packaged. With us, if it doesn't sell, it stays on the shelves for days, and at the same price. I won't say anymore, that the unpackaged bread has a price that everyone can afford, and the already packed one is too much for the vast majority. As they say, you have money to live, no, you die.
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