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PACKAGING Role Mechanical resistance Gas barrier properties Water vapour barrier property Anti-UV action Anti-fog properties Sealability Shine or transparency “Printability” Polymer Polycarbonate, low and high-density polyethylene, polypropylene Poly vinylidene chloride, Ethyl Vinyl Alcohol, Polycarbonate, PVC Polyester, polyethylene, PVC, polypropylene polypropylene Polyamide, Polyethylene, Polypropylene Polyethylene pherophtalate The most sophisticated packaging can include as many as ten layers in a very fine width of scarcely 50 micrometres, which was unimaginable a few years ago. One of the challenges of the future of packaging is to reduce the weight and volume of waste packaging material for environmental reasons. Machinery for MAP packaging The equipment required varies depending on the types of packages to be manufactured: • Compensated vacuum machines for semi-rigid packaging composed of a thermoformed and sealed plastic tray • Vertical or horizontal bagging machines. The correct atmosphere is achieved using gas flushing. Progress has been made in sealing technologies with regard to tooling changeover times and temperature holding systems. In some cases, these have been completely eliminated, as in Automac’s Atmopack system using high pressure gas flushing resulting in less than 1% residual oxygen combined with a stretchable protective film Controlling the atmosphere and quality of packaging Package integrity A small hole in the package or a faulty seal is enough to undo the benefits of modified atmosphere and to reduce the shelf-life of the product. Food companies must ensure the integrity of the package when it leaves the packaging line, the factory floor or storage room. There is a choice between two types of technology: statistical control or in-line control. Using statistical techniques, package samples are taken manually for analysis. The sample is then placed under a lid under which a vacuum is created in order to suck out, where necessary, the “leaked” packaging atmosphere. In the first case, the analysis is carried out continuously on all products at different sequences of the packaging machine using the same principle. The analysis is instantaneous, provided that a tracer gas is placed in the packaging atmosphere. CO 2 and helium are two types of tracer gases that can be used. The advantage of CO 2 is that most of the time it is already used in the packaging atmosphere. If this is not the case, a small amount of helium (5%) must be added to the initial atmosphere. This completely inert and transient molecule is authorised by the regulations. The operator is alerted to the presence of these gases detected by the appropriate analysis (infra-red for CO 2 , mass spectrometry for helium) and will then ensure the packaging line is adjusted accordingly. In most cases leaks are due to defective seals on the packaging film, or due to parts of the product becoming trapped in the seal thereby creating a “chimney”. Oxygen measurements: A continuous analysis of residual oxygen levels and the percentage of CO 2 , where applicable, is carried out during the packaging operation, to ensure compliance with quality and food safety requirements. Statistical destructive testing of packaging is also carried out to monitor changes to the product and its gaseous composition over its shelflife. An interesting innovation, currently under development, is in the analysis of residual oxygen levels using non invasive technology. This oxygen measurement system is manufactured and marketed by the American company Oxysense. Oxygen is detected by indirectly measuring the lifetime of the luminescence of an organic substance placed on the inside wall of transparent packaging and held in place by an oxygen permeable membrane. When this substance is illuminated by an exterior light, it emits (by luminescence) a different light which depends on the O 2 concentrations inside the package. Measuring this emission using a photo detector and the electronic processing of the resulting signal make it possible to determine O 2 concentrations with a precision of
PACKAGING Seal quality on food tray packaging Have you ever experienced sealing issues on your horizontally formed tray packs? A perfect seal to guarantee airtight packaging of the product without any micro-leakage is crucial for safe food supply. The results of seal imperfections are often not visible until after a few days on the shelf, however an aesthetic display is the first thing that catches the attention of the customer. To maximise the shelf-life and display appeal of your food products automated machine vision quality control is a good choice. A Camsensor Q:Seal Tray pack machine inspects the seal integrity of horizontally sealed food trays and removes rejects from the production line at up to 200 trays per min with 100% accuracy. It provides a comprehensive quality control inspection of the seal area to prevent food spoilage and ensure clean seals. The contact-less vision inspection has non-invasive and non-destructive impact on product. It operates continuously on all high-speed production lines which form, fill and seal and on horizontal food tray packs. Detecting a full range of seal imperfections, it also ensures a comprehensive aesthetic inspection. The Camsensor equipment is designed for harsh environments and meets the highest hygienic standards. The 316 food grade stainless housing is IP67 rated. It takes up very little floor space and offers a slot-in integration into your existing production line. Inspection can be easily set-up for different product types, maintaining accuracy in detection of seal faults. Real-time and historical image displays inform operators about the current pass/fail rate and allows for precise traceability of consecutive packaging faults. Faulty machine components or incorrect machine setup of the tray sealer leading to defective seals can be readily identified. A thorough understanding and the control of possible sealing issues provides you with better quality, less down-time and higher output efficiencies. TRAY PACK WHO’S INSPECTING your SEALS! camsensor.com/stopbadseals ph. +64 9 4153421 Camsensor seal inspection Every pack, 100% consistent Stop bad seals getting to your customers! As used by leading food manufacturers in New Zealand Australia, North America and Europe. October/November 2011 17
Page 1 and 2: October/November 2011 NZ’s Author
Page 3 and 4: Contacts Executive Manager, Rosemar
Page 5 and 6: Overview Natural Salt and Marlborou
Page 7 and 8: Overview Ingredient Resources Austr
Page 9 and 10: Natural Fruit Flavours: Products fr
Page 11 and 12: Overview YO-MIX yogurt culture and
Page 13 and 14: F-FILES Members of the team working
Page 15: The advantages of modified atmosphe
Page 19 and 20: PACKAGING 16 - 18 OCT 2011 Viaduct
Page 21 and 22: INNOVATION Food Innovation Showcase
Page 23 and 24: INNOVATION The FoodBowl in Auckland
Page 25 and 26: INNOVATION New Zealand Food Awards
Page 27 and 28: IN-BRIEF Tech-Briefs The Linx CJ400
Page 29 and 30: IN-BRIEF The second generation SO s
Page 31 and 32: OILS & FATS Canadian invention of a
Page 33 and 34: Protecting IP in novel food ingredi
Page 35 and 36: NZIFST New Professional Members The
Page 37 and 38: NZIFST Robyn Martin and Susan Harve
Page 39 and 40: NZIFST Manawatu Science Fair The fo
Page 41 and 42: MIA NEWS MIA News Higher meat price
Page 43 and 44: MIA NEWS Sponsors The MIA and B+LNZ
Page 45 and 46: MIA NEWS Sustainability is a megatr
Page 47 and 48: The Maersk Gala Dinner at the Blue
Page 49 and 50: UNDERGRADUATE WRITING Conclusion Po
Page 51 and 52: International Conference Diary EVEN

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