+ All Categories
Home > Documents > December 2012 eNewsletter

December 2012 eNewsletter

Date post: 06-Mar-2016
Category:
Upload: australian-institute-of-packaging
View: 216 times
Download: 0 times
Share this document with a friend
Description:
Australian Institute of Packaging Monthly Newsletter
Popular Tags:
10
AIP National Office 34 Lawson Street Oxley QLD 4075 Australia +61 7 3278 4490 +61 7 3009 9916 [email protected] www.aipack.com.au AIP NEWSLETTER Join the AIP on 1 DECEMBER 2012 AIP WEB PARTNERS NEW MEMBERS 2012 SURVEY WINNER Justin Van Niekerk Associate VIC Chris Peloso Member VIC Yongkang Zhang Associate VIC The AIP would like to welcome the following new Members... O n behalf of the AIP National Board, I wish you and your family a safe Christmas period and rewarding New Year. 2012 has been a great year for the AIP. Under Pierre’s guidance, we proceeded with development of our relationship with the World Packaging Organisation (WPO). Llew, Pierre and Harry continued to develop our education program to a level where the half-day training courses are regular and well-attended. This program continues to grow. AIP Membership remains strong, where many other similar organisations are shrinking. This is a reflection of your commitment, thank you. Our relationship with the major retailers and IGD continues to grow and we had another successful in-store excellence program along the east coast cities; the members are asking for more in 2013. The National Conference on the Gold Coast was a great success and it is only when you attend other conferences here, and around the world, that you realise how well our conference is organised. Our guest of honour was Tom Schneider, WPO President, and he still speaks highly of our standard. Well done Nerida and the organising team. While our focus remains in packaging education of our members, we are aware of our fortunate position in this community. My thanks to all members who organised and ran charity events in 2012 and the sponsors who helped us. To support our members who are seeking employment, we have recently adapted our website to provide a page where they can promote their skills. Please use it. We seek to remain relevant to your needs. A survey has been circulated recently to hear what you have to say. 2013 is our 50th year and this great milestone which will be recognised with some significant events. Our National Technical Forum for AUSPACK PLUS in May 2013 will be a global event. I am pleased to announce that the AIP will be hosting a World Packaging Organisation function at AUSPACK PLUS. Speakers from around the world will be addressing the technical forum and we will have many world leaders in packaging with us. It is fitting that this will occur in our 50th year. Thank you all for your efforts and support to our Institute in 2012. In addition, a special thank you to your families who have supported you to contribute to our proud Institute. Ralph Moyle MAIP, National President AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF PACKAGING (AIP) NATIONAL TECHNICAL FORUM THURSDAY 9TH OF MAY 2013 Owned and Presented by APPMA 2013 PACKAGING + PROCESSING + MATERIALS Tuesday 7th - Friday 10th May MEDIA PARTNERS ASIA PACIFIC PACKAGING G L O B A L P A C K A G I N G T R E N D S With the theme ‘Global Packaging Trends’ and international speakers coming to present, the AIP National Technical Forum, will be held on Thursday the 9th of May 2013 and is expected to be a must-attend on the 2013 calendar. Mark this date in your calendar! Enquire today about how your company can be a partner at the forums. Email [email protected] Somerville Room, Sydney Showground Alongside AUSPACK PLUS Congratulations to Peter Hull MAIP, Technical Manager, Ardagh Group Australia for winning the $100 JB Hi Fi voucher for completing the survey! We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our members who completed the survey; your feedback has been extremely useful.
Transcript

AIP National Office 34 Lawson Street Oxley QLD 4075 Australia +61 7 3278 4490 +61 7 3009 9916 [email protected] www.aipack.com.au

AIP NEWSLETTERJoin the AIP on

1

DECEMBER 2012

AIP WEB PARTNERS

Untitled-1 1 19/9/11 3:47:10 PM

NEW MEMBERS2012 SURVEY WINNER

Justin Van Niekerk Associate VIC Chris Peloso Member VICYongkang Zhang Associate VIC

The AIP would like to welcome the following new Members...

On behalf of the AIP National Board, I wish you and your family a safe Christmas period and rewarding New Year. 2012 has been a great year for the AIP. Under Pierre’s guidance, we proceeded with development

of our relationship with the World Packaging Organisation (WPO). Llew, Pierre and Harry continued to develop our education program to a level where the half-day training courses are regular and well-attended. This program continues to grow. AIP Membership remains strong, where many other similar organisations are shrinking. This is a reflection of your commitment, thank you. Our relationship with the major retailers and IGD continues to grow and we had another successful in-store excellence program along the east coast cities; the members are asking for more in 2013. The National Conference on the Gold Coast was a great success and it is only when you attend other conferences here, and around the world, that you realise how well our conference is organised. Our guest of honour was Tom Schneider, WPO President, and he still speaks highly of our standard. Well done Nerida and the organising team. While our focus remains in packaging education of our members, we are aware of our fortunate position in this community. My thanks to all members who organised and ran charity events in 2012 and the sponsors who helped us. To support our members who are seeking employment, we have recently adapted our website to provide a page where they can promote their skills. Please use it. We seek to remain relevant to your needs. A survey has been circulated recently to hear what you have to say. 2013 is our 50th year and this great milestone which will be recognised with some significant events. Our National Technical Forum for AUSPACK PLUS in May 2013 will be a global event. I am pleased to announce that the AIP will be hosting a World Packaging Organisation function at AUSPACK PLUS. Speakers from around the world will be addressing the technical forum and we will have many world leaders in packaging with us. It is fitting that this will occur in our 50th year. Thank you all for your efforts and support to our Institute in 2012. In addition, a special thank you to your families who have supported you to contribute to our proud Institute.

Ralph Moyle MAIP, National President

AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF PACKAGING (AIP) NATIONAL TECHNICAL FORUM

THURSDAY 9TH OF MAY 2013

Owned and Presented by APPMA2013 PACKAGING + PROCESSING + MATERIALS

Tuesday 7th - Friday 10th May

MEDIA PARTNERSA S I A P A C I F I C P A C K A G I N G

Untitled-1 1 19/9/11 3:47:10 PM

GL

OB

AL PACKAGING T

RE

ND

S

With the theme ‘Global Packaging Trends’ and international speakers coming to present, the AIP National Technical Forum, will be held on Thursday the 9th of May 2013 and is expected to be a must-attend on the 2013 calendar. Mark this date in your calendar!

Enquire today about how your company can be a partner at the forums. Email [email protected]

Somerville Room, Sydney ShowgroundAlongside AUSPACK PLUS

Congratulations to Peter Hull MAIP, Technical Manager, Ardagh Group Australia for winning the $100 JB Hi Fi voucher for completing the survey! We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our members who completed the survey; your feedback has been extremely useful.

AIP NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 20122

APPMA 2013 ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP

The Australian Packaging and P r o c e s s i n g M a c h i n e r y A s s o c i a t i o n

(APPMA), in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP), are pleased to announce that submissions are due before Friday the 22nd of March for the fifth annual scholarship

program which will enable a packaging engineer the opportunity to complete a Diploma in Packaging Technology.

The APPMA is Australia’s national organisation, representing the packaging and processing machinery industry. The APPMA are seeking a packaging engineer that is looking to further their education by offering them a scholarship to enrol in the Diploma in Packaging Technology.

There are two broad target groups for the scholarship:1. People currently employed in parts of the packaging industry who want to broaden their knowledge and understanding and take on greater levels of responsibility. Due to the diverse nature of the packaging and related industries, it is difficult to define this target group in terms of precise job functions.

2. People who are currently employed in the industry, who may be following courses in associate subject areas such as packaging design, food science/technology, materials science/engineering and logistics will find that this programme broadens the scope of their studies. In designing the course, the principles of constructive alignment have been employed, i.e. the intended learning outcomes, which reflect the requirements of industry, clarify the course objectives.

Mr Ralph Moyle, MAIP, National President of the AIP, added that the Institute is grateful that associations like the APPMA recognise the importance of education and training and are contributing to the growth of the packaging industry as a whole in Australia.

“The APPMA annual scholarship program is now in its fifth year and the AIP encourages all packaging engineers to register for the 2013 scholarship,” Mr Moyle said.

Submissions must be received by Close of Business on Friday the 22nd of March with the 2013 winner being announced during the 2013 APPMA Awards of Excellence which will be held on Wednesday the 8th of May during AUSPACK PLUS 2013 at the Sydney Showground.

Application forms are now available for the APPMA 2013 Scholarship program and can be accessed by emailing [email protected] or www.appma.com.au

2012 Winner: Anna Roland

PARTNER NEWS

Riggs Autopack, of Lancashire UK, a market leader in volumetric depositors and filling machines, transfer pumps and conveyor filling lines, supplied to the food industry, has developed a twin head

depositor for hot mash potato in collaboration with their customer, a well known UK Ready Meals producer.

A difficult to fill product, mashed potato had in the past been deposited manually even on automated filling lines which resulted in inconsistencies with weights, visual aesthetics and product positioning relative to the other products in the container. The team at Riggs Autopack developed a solution for the customer which can provide semi or fully automatic operation, single or multi-head depositors that incorporates an auger for consistent feeding and also includes a depositing nozzle with a

decorating head which can be customised to meet the aesthetic requirements of individual customers. The new machine can handle multiple pack types including single portion meals and multi-portions of between two and 12 servings.

Riggs Autopack also have depositors that can fill hot & cold liquid, semi-liquid and suspended solid goods including a wide range of ready meal products such as soups, stews, casseroles or curries and are able to deposit fragile vegetables and cooked meats in sauce with particulates up to 38mm cubed as standard. It is also possible for meal components to be handled straight from cooking kettles and chilled storage, as the systems are unaffected by temperature. Riggs Autopack. is represented in Oceania by HBM Packaging Technologies.

THE MASH POTATO FLOWS WITH RIGGS AUTOPACK’S DEPOSITORS

For more information please contact Barton Porter +61 2 8814 3103, [email protected] or www.hbm.com.au

AIP NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2012 3

2012 AIP SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED AT CORMACK INNOVATION AWARDS

In its fourth year, the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) Scholarship for one of the finalists in the 2012 Cormack Innovation Awards was recently awarded to Nancy Malik, who is a student at the University of Technology Sydney.

Nancy added that ‘it feels great to win the 2012 AIP Scholarship,’ she said.

“It is wonderful to be at the front line of innovation in packaging and the AIP Scholarship is a great opportunity for me,” Ms Malik said. “I have always had a passion for plastics and for common type products and fulfilling the needs of everyday people. FMCG is an area I would like to be involved in. I have been interested in packaging and really enjoyed an internship I completed at a Consultancy Firm working on packaging and seeing how things evolve in a 3D form and how packaging effects the way that someone uses a product,” she said.

The Cormack Innovation Awards scholarship complements other programs initiated by the AIP including, the APPMA scholarship for the Diploma in Packaging Technology and the AIP scholarship for the PCA Southern Cross Awards.

William Woo and Nancy Malik

CormackInnova�onAwardsSmart MindsPractical Solutions

AIP NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 20124

YOUNGEST MEMBER OF THE AIP TO ACHIEVE 25 YEARS OF MEMBERSHIP

100 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE AIP

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB IN THE PACKAGING INDUSTRY? My first packaging role was as a part time Quality Inspector at the Gadsden Can plant at Stafford in Brisbane in the mid 1980’s which gave me good basic understanding of tinplate packaging. My first full time job was at Leigh Mardon Flexibles at Regents Park in Sydney in 1989 which was truly an eye opening experience which taught me many lessons in both packaging and the food manufacturing sectors. I still use knowledge built up in those days in my present day employment in the corrugated industry with new patented products such as Photo Surefresh. WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN CHANGE IN THE INDUSTRY IN THE LAST 25 YEARS? There has been significant changes in the various packaging industries I have worked in over the years; a dynamic industry which has challenged both artists and engineers alike.

I have been a member of the AIP all of my working life. I have had a few truly talented mentors along the way such as Harry Lovell and Bob Kingston who were staunch long-term members of the Institute, whom showed me the value of a national networking body. It is through the synergies of like-minded packaging professionals that the Australian Packaging industry advances and I have been fortunate to be offered positions to help the Institute along the way as well with considerable support from my employer Amcor.

George Ganzenmuller FAIP

Anthony Kite MAIP Ron Mines MAIP and Thai Nguyen MAIP Frank Bova FAIP

G eorge Ganzenmuller FAIP, was recently awarded his 25 years of membership to the Institute making him the youngest AIP member to receive his 25 years of service! George has never not been a member of the AIP and as many of you will know he has been a National President twice, has completed the Diploma in Packaging Technology and been recognised for his outstanding contribution to the wider packaging industry by being a recipient of the prestigious AIP Founders Award. Please join with us in

congratulating George on his 25 years of AIP membership.

AIP NSW Branch recently held a dinner function at which Anthony Kite MAIP, Ron Mines MAIP, Thai Nguyen MAIP and Frank Bova FAIP, were recognised for over 100 years of membership to the AIP between them. All four members have contributed significantly to their packaging fields and to the Institute for many years. Please join with us in congratulating them and stay tuned for some interviews with each of them in the next issue.

AIP NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2012 5

NEW PACKAGING ACCESSIBILITY

NSW Health and Arthritis Australia have developed comprehensive new accessibility/openability Guidelines for industry and government. The simple and practical Guidelines will enable packaging technologists to design packaging

that is more easy to open and legible. The Guidelines contain specifications with example photos of good and bad packaging. The Guidelines are primarily for food packaging with an emphasis on opening features, closures, tamper resistance, containers and labelling.

Accessibility will become part of the tender requirements for NSW Health and other health departments from 2013. The Guidelines will help suppliers to meet their requirements in particular for portion control items like bottled water, juice, sauces and for any type packaging when it comes to labelling and legibility.

The demand for easy to open packaging has being growing for consumers, with one in two consumers facing at least some form of restriction whether it be strength, dexterity, vision or all three. A recent Australian study showed one in two consumers have injured themselves trying to open packaging, meaning it is also safety issue.

Easy to packaging is becoming a driver for innovation and now gives companies a competitive advantage when supplying to industry and government. Accessibility is now part of the selection criteria for brand owners like Nestle and Woolworths will review 3000 of private label products including for accessibility by 2015.

The Guidelines will help meet the growing demand for specifications and practical advice, so packaging technologists can get it right first time and avoid costly redesigns when they get it wrong. There are 19 Guidelines, an excerpt from the Guidelines has been provided below to give you an insight into the type of information they contain.

The Guidelines are available upon request from Arthritis Australia at [email protected] or call 02 9518 4441.

OPENABILITY GUIDELINES FOR INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT

GOOD EXAMPLE: The large tab (Figure 15) on the seal can be easily grasped between the thumb and a knuckle

BAD EXAMPLE: The inner seal (Figure 14) has three small tabs that are too small for most users to easily grasp.

GUIDELINE 10: Provide a sufficiently large grasping point on seals and opening features. A tab that is at least 0.47 inches (12 mm) wide by 0.79 inches (20 mm) long is recommended. The tab should be large enough to grip between the thumb and the knuckle.

Applicable Components: Closure, Opening

Sources: Department of Trade and Industry, UK, 2003; Pirkl, 1995 Feature

Figure 14: Small grasping points

Figure 15: A large grasping point

AIP NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 20126

VERY INTERESTING SITE VISITby Michael B Halley FAIP

Members of the AIP Victorian Division recently visited Visy’s pulp and paper mill on the outskirts of Melbourne where they gained alot of insight into the workings of the site.

Visy is a leading, privately owned packaging and resource recovery company, operating across Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, and with trading offices in Singapore and China.• Their Pulp and Paper division is an integral part of their

‘Closed Loop’ on corrugated packaging but also represents the international Visy brand in export paper markets.

• Visy operates a total of 8 paper machines across Australia, producing over 1.3 million tonnes of recycled and kraft paper. They hold FSC chain-of-custody certification (license code: FSC-C008345) for the papers produced at their six Australian recycled paper mills.

• They hold PEFC chain-of-custody certification (SCS/PEFC/CoC -003987) for the papers produced at their kraft paper mill in Tumut, NSW.

• Visy’s site at Coolaroo Victoria is one of their largest operations and has a number of their manufacturing divisions including paper recycling, corrugated cardboard, preprint, coatings, Innovation and two paper mills, VP4 and VP5.

• AIP Members should be visited VP4 which has been in operation since 1992 that produces up to 110,000 tonnes of a number of packaging papers a year including plasterboard liners and white top recycled liners predominantly for the local corrugated cardboard market.

• The site visit will show the paper mill operations from pulping process to the paper winding.

After assembly and some pre-tour snacks, Plant Manager Jim Maloney and Plant Supervisor Liz Moussa gave an overview of the operations at the Coolaroo site.

The machine was state-of-the-art when installed two decades ago but is now small in comparison with later installations. Nevertheless the operation of the machine and the manner of supply of raw material was spellbinding for those unfamiliar with paper manufacturing.

Statistics provided give a good snapshot of the plant: -• Paper produced is 2.5metres wide on what is known as

a three layer machine.• A speed of around 40 kilometers an hour is attained

when running paper at 170g/m2. (Expressed in grams per square meter (g/m²), paper density is also known as grammage).

• All raw materials are from waste material either kerbside recycling or other reclaiming systems.

• Annual output is 120 kilo tonnes.• Sixty-five thousand tonnes is for the outer skin of plaster

board.• Twenty thousand tonnes becomes white liner board• Thirty five thousand tonnes is brown paper that becomes

corrugating medium or boxboard skin.• Paper grammage ranges from 140 to 220.

The operation is multi-faceted and not as simple as a plant using virgin pulp. The very nature of recycled material means that contaminants will always be included in batch material. A large part of the material source is from newsprint which has to be deinked before becoming suitable pulp for processing.

AIP Members visit Visy

CONT’D ON P7

AIP NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2012 7

VERY INTERESTING SITE VISIT Cont’dby Michael B Halley FAIP

This process was described as low consistency pulping and involves several screenings by centrifugal force. Once the suitable consistency and cleanliness is attained the pulp is around ten per cent solids and ninety per cent water. The end result needs to be a sheet of paper with around eight per cent moisture. Initially the water is removed by vacuuming and then the moving mesh belt on which the material has been spread goes through a series of presses that are heated to assist the drying and dewatering process.

The operation of a three layer machine becomes clearer when able to be seen in operation. Three separate moving screens eventually come together and the paper on each join together to form a single sheet which becomes the final material that is then wound into a roll. At Coolaroo rolls are generally around ten tonne mass.

A secondary operation to slit the ‘mother roll’ into smaller widths for specific clients is located beyond the paper making area adjacent to the warehouse. For specific customers stiffening or colouring is part of the manufacturing process, and the recipes for application of size or colour are included in the computer programs that basically run the mill. It was stated that the manual testing of a batch is not conducive to fast production runs, so research and development dollars are being expended to assist the human operatives.

Visy has a lot of sustainability initiatives and strive to continue toward zero waste. Much of the sludge and contaminants recovered during early processing is being used by third parties and many new ideas are under consideration.

One admirable operation that the visitors were unable to see in operation is an electricity co-generation plant using rejects that would normally be sent to landfill and add to the Visy carbon footprint.

The driving force is a high temperature gasifier that uses all manner of material rejects as fuel to produce energy to drive a turbine to manufacture steam that is used in the paper manufacturing process. Visy is a supporter of Australian manufacturing and has not only contributed to paper processing innovation but also to most disciplines that have synergy with packaging technology.

Llew Stephens FAIP, on behalf of the members in attendance and the Institute in general, handed a plaque indicating appreciation for the company hospitality which was accompanied by applause.

WHO IS LOOKING AFTER YOUR PACKAGING DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION AND SUPPLY CHAIN EFFICIENCY? DO THEY NEED FORMAL PACKAGING QUALIFICATIONS TO IMPROVE YOUR BOTTOM LINE?

ASK THE AIP HOW WE CAN HELP YOUR STAFF WITH THEIR PACKAGING EDUCATION PH: +61 7 3278 4490 educate@@aipack.com.au www.aipack.com.au

AIP NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 20128

Recycling and Risk

We are all advocates for recycling rates and using recycled content but the issue

of Mineral Oil Hydrocarbons (MOH) migration into foods continues to grow. Not all news on this issue is consistent and it is another challenge faced by Packaging Technologists.

What are Mineral Oil Hydrocarbons and where do they come from?

MOHs are by-products of crude oil refinement and they have a number of packaging applications including inks, adhesives, lubricants, plasticizers and protective coatings.

In inks, the mineral oils carry the pigments.

When the ink is applied to a surface like newspaper; the oils absorb and attach to the paper fibre. When the newspaper is introduced to the recycle stream where most of the oil attached to the fibre is likely to remain.

Mineral oils can accumulate in several

organs over a long period and endanger human health.

Swiss research results from a 2010 survey of German super market products indicated 75 per cent exceeded EU safe limits.

The problem of migrating mineral oils had been known for many years but previous work had highlighted fatty foods. This work made a connection to grains and puddings.

As a result, major food manufacturers changed their packaging amid concerns over the long-term health hazards posed by mineral oils leaching from recycled cardboard into foods. Breakfast cereal

producers in the UK, including Kelloggs, Weetabix and Jordans all took steps to change their packaging, according to a BBC report.

In December 2011, the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) and the International Federation of Paper and Board Converters in Europe (CITPA) announced a commitment to phase out the use of printing inks with mineral oils for printing paper and board packaging.

In March 2012, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) published a survey with a conclusion that there was no need for consumers to be concerned.

To add to the cloudiness, in June 2012 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published its scientific report on human exposure to mineral oils.

Their experts on the Contaminants in the Food Chain panel identified some potential concerns in relation to exposure to MOH through food. However, they stressed there are several uncertainties

regarding the chemical composition of MOH mixtures and a lack of toxicological studies. The EFSA called for an overhaul of Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) levels and suggested new measures to assess and monitor the risk from the substances.

Packaging companies in Europe have been promoting that they have products that have effective barriers against MOHs.

Consumer product companies have started demanding that packaging suppliers provide certification that any recycled paper they are using has at least low levels of mineral oil, if not are free of it.

This is not the end of this issue. While we are advocates for recycling and recycle

content in our packaging, this is an issue for packaging

technologists to grasp quickly. The solution is

to gain the knowledge, work closely with your

packaging suppliers and understand all steps of your

packaging supply chain.

There is a lot of different and confusing information out there about recycling and mineral oils, here Ralph Moyle, MAIPNational President, Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) shares his advice on the issues.

The problem of migrating mineral oils had been known for many years but previous work had highlighted fatty foods.

The Labelling Machine CompanyWhere reliability comes as standard

3 Year Warranty on all new Aztro manufactured labelling machines

Finance packages available

Australian made labelling machines by an Australia owned company

Modular labelling capabilities

Good Old Fashioned Service

Labeller Hire available

Ph 1300 553 378 www.aztro.com.au

Whether it’s a straight forward labelling project or a custom design solution the team at Aztro has the experience and ability to successfully provide labelling solutions to meet all your needs

A D _ F D A Z T M A Y _ 1 2 . p d f P a g e 1 3 / 0 4 / 1 2 , 3 : 2 4 P M

www.foodmag.com.au | November 12 | Foodmagazine 13

PACKAGING

F D . N O V 1 2 . P G 0 1 3 . p d f P a g e 1 3 2 3 / 1 0 / 1 2 , 6 : 4 1 P M

THIS ARTICLE WAS RE-PRODUCED WITH PERMISSION FROM FOOD MAGZAINE

AIP NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2012 9

PKN_PacKagiNg News_13

Tech Speak

hose involved in food and beverage packaging know well that consumers and brand

owners both are demanding increased shelf life from products. The modern food industry has developed and expanded because of its ability to deliver a wide variety of high quality food products to consumers nationally and worldwide. This feat has been accomplished by building stability into the products through processing, packaging, and additives that enable foods to remain fresh and wholesome throughout the distribution process.

The terms active packaging and smart packaging refer to packaging systems used with foods, pharmaceuticals, and several other types of products. They help extend shelf life, monitor freshness, display information on quality, improve safety, and increase convenience.

Recently this has been updated to include intelligent functions (sensing, detecting, recording, tracing, communicating and applying scientific logic) in order to extend shelf life, enhance safety, improve quality, provide information and warn about possible issues.

There is a commercial need to allow products to stay fresh on a

retailer's shelf for longer.Consumer demand for

convenience has created new innovations in the food product development and packaging industries. The widespread desire for products to use in the microwave oven has added further to the effort. In the supply chain increased work is being done on oxygen scavengers, moisture absorbers and barrier films that will enhance the shelf life of products.

Active packagingThere is a range of active packaging techniques which are available; the broad categories are: absorbers and removers; release systems; self heating and cooling; and selective permeation

Smart packagingIn conjunction with the developments in packaging materials which help to extend and protect shelf life there is also a complementary group of devices which monitor the products in the packs. These include time-temperature indicators, as well as leak and gas indicators which provide an indication to the consumer of the state or freshness of the product.

NanotechnologyOne of the fastest growing areas is the application of nanotechnology in packaging materials. As the food market has expanded to a worldwide marketplace, it is requiring a longer shelf life. New materials incorporating nano-particles have been able to reduce and in some cases eliminate the transmission of oxygen, and in addition have blocked the transmission of moisture from the product.

Packaging today not only has to be multi-functional by meeting the design requirements, with the added pressure towards sustainable packaging, it has to be environmentally friendly in the effort to reduce our carbon footprint.

With the daily challenges of preserving product and minimising losses, growers, packers, shippers and retailers of produce now have new packaging options that allow them to dramatically increase shelf life.

Various packaging technologies can help food handlers remain competitive by reducing spoilage and delivering consistent quality products on every shipment. Enhanced technical knowledge and input by packaging technologists and packaging engineers through improved performance qualities of materials will be required to fuel market growth.

 * Pierre Pienaar is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Packaging and the association’s immediate past national president. He has his own packaging consulting business, PackTech Solutions, and has lectured on packaging for the past 23 years.

Packaging technologists have enlisted a suite of scientific resources to help further enhance one of packaging’s chief functions – extending shelf life. Pierre Pienaar FAIP* explains the chief packaging technologies in the front line of the battle against food spoilage.

T

Fresh ideas to extend shelf life

Behind the jargonThe principal mechanisms involved in the deterioration of processed foods are:1. Microbiological spoilage sometimes

accompanied by pathogen or germ development.

2. Chemical and enzymatic activity causing the breakdown of colour, odour, flavour, and texture changes.

3. Moisture or other vapour migration which produces changes in texture, water activity and flavour.

Untitled-1 1 4/06/12 4:46 PM

www.packagingnews.com.auTHIS ARTICLE WAS RE-PRODUCED WITH PERMISSION FROM PKN

AIP NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 201210

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE LATEST AIP ACTIVITIES FOR 2012 & 2013

ALL MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND ANY EVENTS ACROSS AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALANDFOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND ON-LINE REGISTRATIONS PLEASE VISIT THE EVENTS PAGE ON WWW.AIPACK.COM.AU

AIP VIC SITE VISIT - VU PACKAGING LABORATORY

AIP NSW TECHNICAL DINNER

AIP QLD XMAS PARTY

INDUSTRY EVENTS

When: Wednesday the 6th of FebruaryWhere: Gate 1, Werribee Campus, Victoria UniversityTime: 3.45 pm

When: Wednesday the 27th of FebruaryWhere: Oatlands Golf Course Club HouseTime: 6.00 pm for a 6.30 pm start The evening concludes at approx 8.30 pmSpeakers: Woolworths and Datamonitor

When: Wednesday the 7th of DecemberWhere: Officers Mess, Victoria BarracksTime: 12.00 noon arrival

When: Friday the 8th of MarchWhere: Mt Ommaney HotelTime: 10.00 am arrival Presenter: Richard Smith MAIP

When: Thursday the 7th of MarchWhere: Oatlands Golf Course Club HouseTime: 10.00 am arrivalPresenter: Stephen Barter MAIP

When: Thursday the 11th of AprilWhere: BNZ Highbrook Partner Centre, East TamakiTime: 10.00 am arrival Presenter: Richard Smith MAIP

When: Wednesday the 24th of JulyWhere: BNZ Highbrook Partner Centre, East TamakiTime: 10.00 am arrivalPresenter: Pierre Pienaar MSc FAIP

Flexible packaging is a complex and dynamic area of packaging. Flexible packaging utilises a wide variety of materials, a broad range of processes for manufacturing, producing films and laminates all of very different properties. and applications.

Extrusion Blow Moulding is a challenging and complex process. The Extrusion Blow Moulding process is capable of delivering a wide range of Plastic Bottles and Hollow Plastic parts to suit almost any Rigid Packaging and Industrial application.

Packaging represents a significant investment in any brand with innovation and design driving improved consumer utility and function. Packaging protects and preserves its valuable contents through the supply chain delivering the product to the consumer.

INTRODUCTION TO FLEXIBLE PACKAGING & BIOPLASTICS HALF-DAY TRAINING COURSE

INTRODUCTION TO EXTRUSION BLOW MOULDING HALF-DAY TRAINING COURSE

INTRODUCTION TO FLEXIBLE PACKAGING & BIOPLASTICS HALF-DAY TRAINING COURSE

Visitors will be given an interactive tour of the laboratory facilities of the Engineered Packaging and Distribution Research group. This includes the Environmental and Distribution Dynamics laboratory, the Polymer Research Laboratory, the Analytical Instrument Laboratory and the Food Research Laboratory.

AIP Members and industry colleagues are invited to a Xmas Party with a difference. Help pack 600 x hampers and enjoy the chance to give back to those in need at Christmas for Foodbank Queensland.

2013 PACKAGING + PROCESSING + MATERIALS

owned and presented by

Tuesday 7th - Friday 10th May9.00 am until 5.00 pm

Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park

COME AND SEE THE AIP ON STAND 220

www.auspackplus.com.au

Australia’s Premier International Exhibition of Packaging and Processing Machinery, Materials and Associated Technology

QLD QLD

NZVIC

NSW

NSW

AU

INTRODUCTION TO PACKAGING ECONOMICS HALF-DAY TRAINING COURSE


Recommended