[Chinese Packaging Network News] A few days ago, the French confectionary sugar leader Cristalunio announced that the company will launch a candy box made of sugar, tailored for its brand Daddy. There is no difference in the appearance of candy boxes and traditional chemical boxes that have been extracted from plants, but the cost has doubled. However, the new packaging can be recycled, which is very beneficial to the environment. The environmental protection brand will also attract a large number of consumers to purchase.
We know that ordinary packaging, while providing convenience for people's lives, also produces packaging waste. This not only increases the burden on the environment, but also increases the possibility of waste of resources. With the rapid development of the food science and packaging industry, many new types of packaging materials and packaging forms continue to emerge. Among them, experts believe that edible environmental protection packaging materials will lead the sustainable development of the food packaging industry.
Edible packaging material enters the market
With the concept of low carbon and environmental protection becoming the main theme of the society, many fields are practicing, and so is the area of ​​packaging materials. The rapid development of the food processing industry and the increasing packaging required. It is understood that there are many kinds of green packaging materials on the market, which can be roughly divided into reusable and recycled packaging materials, edible packaging materials, degradable materials and paper materials.
The reusable packaging materials are mainly used for packaging glass bottles for beer, beverages, etc., and can be used repeatedly; the reusable packaging materials are mainly plastic packaging, and can be made into recycled packaging containers after being processed by physical methods and processed by chemical methods. Can be made into recycled packaging products. But these two methods are in the ointment and only reduce the pollution to the environment. In the end, they must also face the problem of polluting the environment.
The degradable materials can be degraded and reduced by themselves after use, and there is no pollution to the environment. The paper packaging made of natural plant fibers is of high recycling value and the technology is mature.
Edible packaging materials use natural edible substances (such as polysaccharides, proteins, etc.) as raw materials to form edible packaging films through interactions between different molecules. According to different materials and processes, it can be divided into polysaccharide edible packaging film, protein edible packaging film, composite edible packaging film and so on.
The French green box made of sucrose shows that this type of packaging has been successfully developed and is entering the packaging market, which will have greater use of space and development prospects.
Edible packaging leads the industry in sustainable development
The above indications indicate that relevant scientific research institutions and packaging companies have begun to conduct studies on the preparation and performance of new edible packaging films.
In fact, in China, edible packaging has long been used in real life. For example, waxes, oils, gelatin, etc. applied to the surface of foods and fruits can effectively reduce the loss of moisture and extend the shelf life; glutinous rice paper coated with outer layers of confectionery and cakes is made of starch such as sweet potato, corn or wheat flour. It is used to prevent sticking with the outer packaging; the corn baking packaging and sausage casings of the ice cream cone are all typical edible packaging.
In recent years, sustainable packaging and green packaging have become a hot topic in China's food packaging industry. Under the combined push of retailer requirements, public awareness, economic pressures (especially petroleum products) and government policies, sustainability has penetrated into all aspects of food packaging.