This document discusses various types of food packaging technologies. It describes how packaging has evolved from using natural materials like skins and leaves to modern sealed containers. It then explains different types of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) which controls gas levels to extend shelf life by reducing oxygen and increasing carbon dioxide. It also discusses active packaging that absorbs or releases specific compounds and vacuum packaging. Finally, it lists some biodegradable materials commonly used for packaging like cellulose, starch and polylactide acid plastics.

1. Nanaji Deshmukh VETERINARY Science University
Jabalpur
SUBJECT – Fish Packaging
Technology

2. Food packaging

3. Packaging has been with humans for thousands of years
in one form or the other. Packaging dates back to when
people first started moving from place to place.
 Originally, skins, leaves, and bark were used for food
transport.
Four thousand years ago, sealed pottery jars were used to
protect against rodents, and glass making was an important
industry in Egypt.
 Tin-plating iron became possible in AD1200, and as steel
replaced iron this method became useful

4. Types of Packages

5. The modification of the atmosphere generally implies a reduction
of O2 content or an increase of the CO2 concentration, but in some
cases changing the level of carbon monoxide (CO),ethylene, ethanol,
or other compounds in the atmosphere can also contribute to shelf-
life extension.
After closing the package, the respiration of the product will cause
a decrease in the oxygen content and an increase in the carbon
dioxide content.
The course of the atmosphere modification is determined by three
interacting processes: respiration of the commodity, gas diffusion
through the commodity, and gas permeation through the film. Each
of these processes is in turn strongly influenced by several
commodity- and environment-generated factors.
Strict temperature control in the distribution chain would be a
prerequisite for optimal use of MAP in practice.

6. In some cases, a package cannot be designed in such
a way that optimal conditions will be reached
passively.
“Active packaging” can then provide a solution, by
adding materials that absorb or release a specific
compound in the gas phase.
 Compounds that can be absorbed are carbon dioxide
,oxygen, water vapor, ethylene, or volatiles that
influence taste and aroma.

7.  Vacuum packaging (VP) may be regarded as a special type of
MAP, since part of the normal headspace is removed, leaving an
altered initial atmosphere that is not controlled after
packaging.
 In this system, the initial gas composition is that of normal
air, but because of the reduced partial gas pressure, the
amount of O2 available at the start of storage is about one-
third of the normal amount.
As with MAP, the lower O2 content stabilizes the
postharvest product quality by slowing down the metabolism of
the produce and the growth of spoilage microorganisms.

8. Biodegradable material for packaging
Biodegradation is the process by which carbon-containing
chemical compounds are decomposed in the presence of
enzymes secreted
by living organisms.
There are three requirements for the fast degradation
process viz. temperature, humidity and type of microbes.
Acceptable bioplastics are listed below
1- Cellulose
2- Starch
3- Poly-beta-hydroxyalkanoates (PHB)
4- Polylactide Acid (PLA) plastics: