How to Use Technology for Healthier Food Packaging

May 10, 2019 -

• Food Processing
• Industries We Serve

There’s no question that plastic packaging has a negative impact on the health of the environment and the consumer. Consumer demand for less harmful alternatives has sparked a rush of innovative food packaging solutions. What about recycling? While recycling has its benefits, it still requires a lot of energy for the material to be reused. Plastic is good at its job, which is why only the best technology in smart food packaging is seeing results. Smart food packaging will only become more important for food manufacturers and their customers as time goes on. To help you stay at the forefront of this trend, we’re going to break down some of the most promising food packaging technology. Below, you’ll learn about three health driven technologies in the food packaging industry.

Self-Heating Smart Food Packaging

Smart food packaging continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of consumers. These days, more people are on the go and live busy lifestyles. Self-heating food packaging technology allows consumers to heat or cook their food right in the package. Once activated, an exothermic chemical reaction takes place to produce heat. Self-heating technology lowers the average person’s energy footprint and is made with easy to recycle materials. Aside from the convenience, self-heating food packaging technology is great for the environment. As a food manufacturer, meeting consumer expectation is always important. But the true advantage of this smart food packaging lies within how it’s produced. The technology is easy to work into many existing food manufacturing processes. This means for a lower upfront investment, manufacturers can pursue a new market while becoming greener.

Edible Food Packaging Technology

Out of all the innovative food packaging solutions, this one tops the list. Edible food packaging technology gets rid of the typical waste cycle found with plastics. It’s designed to be eaten or easily composted. Edible packaging feeds into the ideas held by the environmentally conscious consumer. After all, what’s healthier for the earth than creating packaging that will never fill up landfills or recycling centers? These days, more and more people have serious concerns about the health of the environment. With edible packaging leaving no waste, there’s never been a healthier alternative for the environment. However, this option does make it more difficult for food manufacturers to get production off the ground. But when they do, this option drives sustainability and benefits everyone involved.

Safety Enhanced Packaging

Have you ever looked at a food’s “best by” date and not trusted it? In the U.S., around 40% of wasted food is thrown out by consumers. That’s what safety enhanced packaging is trying to solve. Fixing this issue would have a huge impact on the health of consumers and the environment. So how does it work? Well, it’s all thanks to nanotechnology and small electronic sensors. These sensors are placed inside the packaging and can tell consumers when food is starting to spoil. It eliminates the guesswork when it comes to figuring out if your food is safe to eat. Using this smart food technology is a great way to show consumers you are taking active steps to reduce food waste. The next step is to have the same package release preservatives to prevent spoilage. While that is years away, lowering the risk of consumer illness while promoting environmental health is a big opportunity.

Innovative Food Packaging Solutions Come in All Sizes

While these innovations are amazing, you don’t have to be on the cutting edge to improve your manufacturing. At Zwirner, we offer high-quality new and used processing equipment to support your business. Contact us today so we can create a customized solution that meets your specific needs. Call Today