Given the wide variety of food packaging available today, knowing which one is the most suitable for a given product is a significant challenge within the industry. Numerous materials and processes are available, such as plastic, glass, aluminum, Styrofoam, paper, and many others, each with advantages and weaknesses.
The choice of suitable packaging considers several factors, such as the textures of the food and its humidity, the packaging’s ability to preserve the temperature inside, and even the aesthetic value brought by the packaging, as with glass containers, of extra virgin olive oils or certain beer brands, whose bottle color is directly associated with the product.
Check out our text today on how to choose the best packaging for food!
Glass Packaging
Glass is one of the oldest materials in use for packaging food. In addition to adding a high aesthetic value to the product, which can often be taken to the table, the glass packaging stands out for being entirely recyclable. Due to their great resistance and durability, it is common for glass bottles and jars to be reused as craft elements to decorate different environments.
In terms of suitability, glass is a very inert material, which makes it ideal for storing virtually any substance: from water to more acidic foods such as tomato sauce and canned foods in general. As they are entirely impermeable, glass packaging has a great capacity for conservation. As long as it is well sealed, odors and humidity from the external environment cannot enter the container.
However, it is recommended to use dark glass containers to store light-sensitive liquids, such as olive oil, beer, and wine. Transparent glass packages, in turn, are interesting because they allow the customer to visualize the product before purchase, being able to evaluate its general appearance.
However, a downside to using glass is that, if not appropriately treated, packaging can be quite sensitive to impacts and shocks.
Plastic Packages
Plastic packaging has been a favorite in the food industry for a few years now. Extremely light and versatile, the plastic can be easily molded to adopt different formats and can even present characteristic shapes that reinforce the brand’s identity in question. Another interesting point in favor of using plastic materials is that they can adopt higher or lower densities and be more or less malleable.
Plastic packaging or plastic food container (กล่องพลาสติกใส่อาหาร which is the term in Thai) can replace the glass or even steel packaging in virtually any situation. The only disadvantage is having a shorter shelf life and being more porous to odors and moisture from the outside environment. Suppose the packaging reinforces the brand’s positioning in front of customers. In that case, plastic is perhaps the most recommended material, as it allows a large number of customizations: from rigidity and shape to color and texture, plastic packaging can adopt virtually any desired features. Plastics can also be shaped into sachets, a small and practical type of packaging for individual servings of sauces or salad side dishes, for example.
