Have you ever wondered how our packaged food is made, and how it’s kept safe? From the food metal detector to the pouch filling machine, it is quality food inspection and packaging that makes it possible for people in the modern world to eat conveniently and safely.
The History of Packaging
We’ve been packing products for a long time now, but the technology has advanced dramatically over the years. Industrial packaging machines are now capable of using a food metal detector and x-ray food inspection to ensure what is packaged is not contaminated. At the same time, packaging has become more efficient and less wasteful. In 1977, a soda bottle that could hold a volume of 2 liters weighed 68 grams. That same volume of liquid is now being held in bottles of only 47 grams, yet they are just as durable. That’s a 31% reduction in size, saving 180 million pounds of plastic packaging in 2006 over the way things used to be.
The Important of Packaging
Quality packaging for our food is not just about getting things from point A to points B. Good packaging actually reduces our waste of food. Experts estimate that a pound of packaging actually results in a 1.7 pound drop in waste. Packaging is essential to manufacturers, too, as 52% of people worldwide are making decisions about what they buy partly on the basis of good packaging that shows social and environmental responsibility.
Types of Packaging
Some plastic packaging is premade. Premade pouch filling machines make the packaging, which is then filled and sealed. Some plastics are vacuum-sealed, which works to preserve food better than bags or containers without a vacuum seal. Plastic is the ideal packaging material. Two pounds of it can hold about 10 gallons of a liquid like soda or juice. It would take three pounds of aluminum, eight pounds of steel, or 40 pounds of glass to hold that same amount!
Keeping Packaging Safe
In modern food packaging equipment, safety is crucial. Food inspection tools are used to make sure the food is safe and the packaging is secure. The food metal detector can find stainless steel bits as small as 2.5 mm. This is often combined with X-ray observations, which can find pieces of metal as small as 1.5 mm. The food metal detector and the x-ray go a long way to ensuring our food supply is safe.
We all rely on quality food packaging so much that we might not even think about it. Sometimes we just buy without considering the time and effort it took to ensure the food we’re eating is safe from bacteria and other contaminants. Fortunately, modern packaging and the food inspection tools that go with it are there to make sure we can eat with peace of mind.
