LCA Food 2012 in Saint Malo, France! - Manifestations et colloques ...

PARALLEL SESSION 3B: PACKAGING 8 th Int. Conference on LCA in the
Agri-Food Sector, 1-4 Oct 2012
Environmental aspects used for food packaging design and product
carbon footprint assessment
Carlos Naranjo 1,* , Juan Leal 1 , Oscar Agudelo 2 , Aura Ochoa 2 , Octavio Morales 3 , Diana Guevara 4
1 Gaia Environmental Services, Medellín, Colombia
2 Industria de Alimentos Zenú S.A.S, Medellín, Colombia
3 Microplast S.A., Medellín, Colombia
4 Phoenix Group, Bogotá, Colombia
Corresponding author. E-mail: cnaranjo@gaiasa.com
ABSTRACT
In developing new designs for long-shelf-life food packaging, this study took a product life cycle into account, with the product
carbon footprint as an indicator. Technical and market variables were also included in the evaluation. The assessment examined four
different packages for sausage products: aluminium can, rigid plastic, flexible 100% plastic pouch, and flexible aluminium pouch.
The methodologies used for the study were ISO14040, ISO14044 and PAS2050:2008. The aluminium can had the largest carbon
footprint, while the rigid plastic container and flexible plastic pouch had the lowest carbon footprints (80% and 60% lower than the
aluminium can, respectively). The Aluminium can carbon footprint is four times higher than plastics ones.
Keywords: eco-design, carbon footprint, consumer behaviour, food packaging.
1. Introduction
“Packaging is necessary to protect food during storage and transportation in the food chain from producer
to consumer. It also plays an important role in creating a product brand and in communicating with
the consumer.” (Williams, 2008)
The processed meat industry sells its products through retailers, such as supermarkets and grocery stores.
Modern lifestyles and social changes have demanded that the processed meat industry develop new packaging
that adds convenience and longer shelf life to the product. Particularly important is the development of
packaging that provides individual portions and makes refrigeration unnecessary.
The main function of food packaging is to protect the product from spoilage and outside contamination.
The packaging also provides other information, communicating to consumers the identity of the product and
its particular characteristics.
The motivation can be government regulation, consumer pressure, retailer pressure, cost, or functionality
of the package which improves the convenience of the final product. If a company wants to use sustainable
packaging, the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology represents the “perfect tool” for working on such
procedures (Siracusa, 2011).
This study aims to assess the carbon footprint of four types of packaging for sausage products. The aluminium
can, it is an existing package, and for this project the company development three prototypes in rigid
plastic, flexible 100% plastic pouch and flexible aluminium pouch. In developing new designs for longshelf-life
food packaging, this study takes a product life cycle into account, with the product carbon footprint
as an indicator. Technical and market variables are also included in the evaluation. The expected shelf life
for the containers without refrigeration is two years.
2. Methods
Prototypes of the three containers were manufactured in a pilot plant and compared to an existing aluminium
canned sausage product (Fig. 1). The containers were sent to a laboratory for testing and comparison of
technical and sensory parameters:
pH, texture profile (TPA), colour, sensory test and shelf life.
Samples were also sent for a marketing study with different target groups in three major markets:
Use Test: a qualitative evaluation for the performance of each prototype in the location that consumers
typically used the products. The target market included homemakers, working women and
those responsible for household purchases.
Channel Distribution Test: a qualitative evaluation through in-depth interviews with store owners
and school store managers.
Concept Test and Sensory Test: evaluation with men and women aged 15-50 of middle and high
class.
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